


Sleepy Hollow - The Fated Ones

by RavenT2



Series: Sleepy Hollow - The Fated Ones [1]
Category: Sleepy Hollow (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Chapter Story, Drama & Romance, F/M, Family, Ichabbie Forever, Romance, Sleepy Hollow - The Fated Ones, ichabbie - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-11
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:27:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 82,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24659095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RavenT2/pseuds/RavenT2
Summary: In the final moments of the trials of Pandora's Box, a mysterious man arrives and executes the Hidden One and Pandora. Now, free of Pandora's Box, new threats and a new ally appear as trials begin again. Meanwhile, Ichabod and Abbie look at their lives and what they've been through together and see there may be more for both of them than just being Witnesses. (Repost from my other fanfic site.)
Relationships: Abbie Mills & Jenny Mills, Ichabod Crane & Abbie Mills, Ichabod Crane & Jenny Mills, Ichabod Crane/Abbie Mills, Joe Corbin/Jenny Mills
Series: Sleepy Hollow - The Fated Ones [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1782898
Comments: 24
Kudos: 10





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Hello, Sleepyheads! RavenT2 here, AKA T2 Angel, here with another entry from my other fan fic site. This is the first story in my series, entitled “Sleepy Hollow: The Fated Ones”. The first story being, of course, “Sleepy Hollow – The Fated Ones”. I originally started the story on 05.11.2016 and ended it on 07.12.2017. Below are the original author’s notes I had from the other site, with some adjustments made. I’m doing this because I’m preparing the final story in the series and I have a lot of friends from Twitter (hey, guys!) who read my stories but they mainly post here on Ao3. So, as I prepare to write the final story in my fan series, I wanted it to be available for all to read and enjoy! Thank you all!
> 
> Author’s Notes posted on 05.11.2016: Welcome to something new from yours truly, T2 Angel.  
> So, here's the scoop: I'm writing this to make up for that HORRIBLE third season ending! Like many of you, I couldn't believe what they did. I don't consider it canon and, unless they make a season four that brings Abbie back, I will never consider it canon. Thanks to my good friend, Kyoko Kasshu Minamino, she helped me realize that I wrote this to "work through my grief." Her support means a lot and especially since she was a huge fan of the show and she is just as PISSED OFF as the rest of us!  
> Now, to be honest, I'm taking inspiration from several sources, one being the TV show “Supernatural”. I know how that looks but the writers of Sleepy Hollow screwed this show, let me have this! Another source actually comes from Kyoko, herself. She is also known as Kyoko M., and she has a trilogy of books called “The Black Parade” that you should really read. Her books are what Sleepy Hollow should've been and could've been.  
> Also, I'm working on several other projects while this so it may take a while before it's all complete but, stick with me, I'm going to finish it.  
> Another note, you're going to notice some inconsistencies between my fan fiction and the show. Well, all I can say is that I missed a lot things from Season Three (can you blame me?) and my memory is fuzzy on a couple of things from the previous seasons (again, can you blame me?). But, all I can ask is that you be patient with me. I promise, I'm doing the best I can. Plus, the writers of the show barely tried; at least, I'm putting forth some effort.  
> Feel free to leave me some reviews! I love those!  
> Lastly, I do not own the rights to Sleepy Hollow. If I did, I'd fire all the writers, hire some new writers (Kyoko included), and beg Nicole Beharie to come back.
> 
> With that, on to “Sleepy Hollow: The Fated Ones”!

Pandora looked Abbie, “You know what needs to be done!”

“I have to do this, Crane!” Abbie shouted as she moved toward the box.

“Abbie, no!” Ichabod protested. “There’s another way! There must be!”

“There isn’t!”

“NO!” The Hidden One, desperately, used what little power he had left to force them all away from the box. He struggled up the stairs to reach the box, himself, and was just a hair’s breadth from touching it.

Suddenly, a great rush of wind swept through the cavern, tossing everyone about the room. Abbie, Ichabod, and Jenny landed on the far side of the room, down the stairs; Pandora, on the other side, near the mirrors; and the Hidden One was lifted and dropped back down, closest the box.

Dazed, the Hidden One groaned but he looked up and saw the box and stood up to take its power. “Power… yes…”

“No, that’ll be enough of you,” a voice said.

Suddenly, a sword pierced through the Hidden One’s chest, drawing a sharp, deep grasp from him. He was lifted slowly off of the ground, straining to breathe as it was happening. Abbie, Ichabod, and Jenny looked up to see a man in three-piece blue suit, holding an old-century longsword, standing behind the Hidden One. He had jet black hair and pale skin that had a greyish hue to it.

“My leader has long since grown tired of your failures,” the sword wielder said. He pulled the sword from the Hidden One’s back, causing the Hidden One to fall to the ground. The man walked around the Hidden One, “You didn’t keep your promise. It’s time to pay the debt long owed.”

“Who the hell is that?!” Jenny asked.

“G… Golan…” Hidden One struggled to say, pushing up to his knees. He pressed his hand to his wound. “There… th-there is no need for this! All will be…”

Golan laughed. “No. My leader has heard all that before and he will wait no longer.” He squatted down, “Time after time has ended in disappointment, plot after plot has failed,” he looked over at Pandora, “you and your chess pieces.” He looked back at the Hidden One. “You know? My leader showed you mercy when he found your pathetic shell of a self and this is how you repay him? So disappointing.” He stood back to his feet.

The Hidden One’s face hardened, knowing what fate was coming. “I will beg no more. Neither to you or your contemptible leader!”

“Wise. Insulting the executioner while he holds the axe.” Golan chuckled. “You’re just as human as the rest of them.”

The Hidden One growled.

“It doesn’t matter. Your time has come.” Golan looked at the Witnesses, “And they made this so much easier than it was going to be. Somewhat, disappointing actually.” He looked back at the Hidden One. “I wanted to see you fight for your miserable life.” He smiled. “I’ll settle for the fear I now see in your eyes.”

“Damn you…” the Hidden One growled.

“All debts will now be paid.” He lifted sword and, in a movement quicker than any could track, the Hidden One’s head was separated from his body. It rolled down the stairs stopping at the base of the steps.

Abbie, Ichabod, and Jenny couldn’t believe what they just saw. In one swift movement, the threat of the Hidden One had ended. They looked up at the man who killed the Hidden One and saw that it wasn’t even a hard effort for him to finish the god off.

Golan scoffed. “Useless.” He walked over to Pandora’s Box and stared at it. “Pathetic thing. Just as inadequate…” He looked at Pandora, “as its namesake.”

Pandora stared at Golan with a look of pure fear. “Lord… Golan.”

“Pandora. My leader is displeased with you.”

“I… I have turned against the Hidden One.”

“Yes, that was wise. But, that betrayal came too late.”

Pandora’s eyes widened.

Golan looked at the box. “My leader was waiting for the Hidden One to deliver on what was owed. But his constant failures,” he looked at Pandora, “and yours have exceeded the limits of his patience.”

“His patience? _His_ patience! What of mine?! What of the trials I have been put through?!”

“Spare me your useless trifles, woman. Your time is done.”

Pandora shook her head. “No. No! Yours is done!” She raised her hand and an invisible force of power hit Golan.

Golan stumbled then looked at Pandora, simmering rage entering his eyes. “Who do you think you are, witch?”

“Powerful!” Pandora declared. “Stronger than you all!”

Pandora thrust her hands forward and pushed Golan, causing him to drop his sword and forced him down the stairs, with an impact that seemed to have broken his neck. He laid, motionless, at the base of stairs.

“I am a goddess,” Pandora declared.

“Oh, hell,” Abbie said.

“Quite the unexpected turn of events,” Ichabod said.

Pandora looked at them all. “You have nothing to fear from me. As long as you bow and worship me, I will be a benevolent goddess. Strong, powerful. Eternal.”

“Amazing how short eternity is these days.”

They all looked at the sound of the voice came from Golan’s corpse. Or what they thought was a corpse. With a speed that no one could track, Golan got to his feet and rushed at Pandora, grabbed both of her wrists and snapped them easily. Pandora screamed in pain as her hands became useless, sinking down to her knees.

Golan exhaled, cracked his neck and straightened his suit. “Damn it. I hope you didn’t ruin it. I happen to like this suit.”

Pandora looked at him, wide eyed. “H-How…”

“You should’ve known better, Pandora. You don’t challenge those more powerful than and you, certainly, don’t think yourself strong enough to kill them.”

Despite the pain raging through her, Pandora steeled herself. “I regret nothing,” she said, breathing in heaves. “The Hidden One, you, your leader… I am better rid of all of you. I’ve grown tired of all of you.”

“You’re not alone. And, to make it all clear, it is we who will be rid of you.” Golan picked up his longsword.

“Just know: the Hidden One was no more loyal to you than I was! He had no intention on delivering on his promise!”

“Don’t insult me, woman. Moreover, don’t insult my leader. The Hidden One is an old charlatan. We knew who we were dealing with long before we approached him. My leader knew he was to be betrayed, sooner or later. Still, he imagined you and that failure of a god would be of some use before then but that proved to be folly. Late grows the hour and, even shorter still, my leader’s tolerance.”

Pandora started to hyperventilate but she steadied her breathing. “I’ve lived long enough. Do your worst!”

“I intend to.” Golan walked over to Pandora. He rolled his eyes, “Stand up. At least, have the dignity to die on your feet.”

Pandora slowly got to her feet.

“You have failed, Pandora.” Golan ran his sword through her chest.

She gasped.

“For the last time,” he growled.

Pandora’s head drooped down as she breathed her last.

Golan removed his sword and let her corpse fall. He scoffed. “Humans.” He looked at Ichabod, Abbie, and Jenny. “Witnesses. It would probably be in my best interest to kill you all now.”

The three of them didn’t know what to do. Their weapons were too far from them to get to and something told them that Golan would be on them before they had the chance to get to any of their weapons.

Golan exhaled. “However, that is not my task. For now, you have a reprieve. You’ve impressed my leader, but know that this is but a stay of execution. In time, you will find that your days on this earth are numbered. Make all the peace you can while you can. For when my leader decides your fates, your fates are decided.”

“Who are you?” Ichabod asked.

“No one to be trifled with, Witness,” Golan declared, aiming his sword at him. “You’d do well to remember that. Know this: I have no love for humans but I had nothing but contempt for these worthless fools.”

“Is that why you saved us?” Abbie asked.

Golan scoffed. “I did not save you. I came for what was promised. Well, part of a promise, anyway.” He reached into Pandora’s Box and easily pulled out a dark red stone. “The fool thought he could keep this from us. Petty imbecile.” He turned back to the Witnesses, he stared at Abbie then at the Box. He looked back at Abbie, “That useless thing leeches for your soul.”

“I noticed,” Abbie said.

“Hm.” Golan circled the Box. “Once this thing is destroyed, it will trouble you no longer. And, quite frankly, I will be thrilled to be rid of this eyesore. As I said, you have a reprieve. For now…” He flipped the sword so the edge was aimed at the box. “…take solace that this strike is not for any of you.” His sword began to glow a dark green. He looked at them, “Until we meet again.” He looked back down at the box, “ _Vagitus Mortis_!” His eyes turned black and green energy completely covered the sword and he drove the sword into the box. Power and energy swirled around for a few moment before causing an explosion of force and light and knocking Team Witness out.

Ichabod woke up first, groaning as he did so. There was no way to tell how much time had passed but it felt like he’d been down for a while. He felt his face and found a laceration just over his right eye. He looked around and saw Jenny had started to move. “Jenny?” he asked.

Jenny pushed up on an elbow and looked at Ichabod.

“Are you…”

“I’ve felt better,” Jenny replied. “But I’ve felt worse.” She gasped. “Abbie.”

They both looked and saw Abbie face down on the ground. She wasn’t moving.

Ichabod crawled over to her. He turned her over and propped her head up, “Leftenant!” Jenny scooted over to her, as well.

Abbie didn’t respond.

Ichabod and Jenny looked at each other, unsure, then back at Abbie.

“Leftenant!” Ichabod shouted, louder.

“Abbie, come on!” Jenny shouted.

Still, no response.

“He said destroying the box would free her, right?” Jenny asked.

“I fear it wouldn’t be the first time we have been lied to,” Ichabod replied.

Jenny took a deep breath and looked at her sister, “Abbie, come on! Come on, wake up!”

“Abbie!” Ichabod shouted.

After another moment, Abbie twitched and moaned, lowly. “Crane…”

Ichabod released the breath he didn’t know he was holding.

Abbie slowly opened her eyes. She looked at Ichabod. “Hey.”

He let out a shaken breath. “Greetings.”

She looked at the two of them, “Ain’t you two a sight?”

“Like you look like Halle Berry right now,” Jenny replied.

“Closer than you,” Abbie fired back.

“You wish.”

“Considering what we all have been through, at this moment, I believe if we pass for alive is a point in our favor.”

The Mills women laughed at that.

Ichabod looked up at where the Box and Golan once were. “It’s over.”

“Yeah,” Abbie said.

“But what the hell was that all about?” Jenny asked.

“Questions best kept for later,” Ichabod answered. “For now… let us depart from this dreadful place and get some much needed rest.”

“That’s the best idea I’ve heard all week,” Abbie agreed.

* * *

**_Los Angeles, California._ **

Edom sat in the bar, sipping on the red wine while the piano player performed a subdued _Moonlight Sonata_. He was enjoying the calmed atmosphere when he felt a sudden power shift wave through him.

He looked around the room then turned around, facing the east. “Well, well, well,” he whispered to himself. “Pandora. And the Hidden One. Destroyed? Interesting.” He closed his eyes. “So, that’s where you are. Or… were.” He opened his eyes then chuckled, “It’s been a long time since I’ve been there.” He looked back at the piano player and took another sip of wine. He set the glass down and pulled out his cell phone. “Yes, this is Edom Thane. I need my home on 417 Carver made ready as soon as possible. I’ll be headed there in a few days.” He fell silent for a second. “Take your time. Just make sure everything is concealed. Thank you.” He ended the call. He scoffed and picked up his glass again. “Always good to go home.” He took a sip, again taking in the atmosphere and the music. “What do you have in store for me this time? You always have the best surprises… Sleepy Hollow.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The rest of the story will be updated over the next couple of days. If you don't want to wait, you're more than welcome to go my other site and read ahead. But, please! Give me some feedback! I love it!


	2. Chapter 1: Recovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Ichabod and Abbie recover, Edom arrives in Sleepy Hollow. Meanwhile, Golan returns to his leader, Migron, and discusses the deaths of the Hidden One and Pandora.

**_Sleepy Hollow. Two weeks later._ **

Downtime wasn’t something Abbie, Ichabod, and Jenny were unused to, neither was being in a hospital. But, still, this time felt different everyone. It was as though the atmosphere of Sleepy Hollow had become calmer. They weren’t sure how long that would last but they had no choice but to accept it for now. Enjoy it, even, if it all possible.

Jenny walked through the hospital, heading straight for Abbie’s room to see how she was coming along. She walked in the room and found her sister, lying in bed, still asleep. Smiling, she walked up to her big sister and kissed her forehead. “Always the big hero.”

“Somebody has to be,” Abbie moaned. She slowly opened her eyes and smiled. “Hey.”

“Hey to you. How you feelin’?”

“Like hell.”

They giggled.

“Well, you look it,” Jenny said.

“Thanks for that,” Abbie replied. “Guess I won’t be back to Halle Berry status for another week.”

“You could stay in bed a year and wouldn’t…”

“Shut up, Jenny.” Abbie struggled to keep her eyes open.

Jenny smiled and patted her sister’s hand. “Yeah, you’re gonna be okay. Get more sleep.”

Abbie nodded and exhaled, “That’s the plan.” She fell back asleep almost immediately.

Jenny smirked and left her sister to rest some more. She went to Ichabod’s room and found him sitting in a chair, reading a book.

“Crane?” Jenny asked.

Ichabod looked at her and smiled. “Hello, Jenny.”

“Why aren’t you in bed?”

“I feel as though I’ve rested quite enough. I wish they would just let us go home.”

“Not just yet. Not everyone is as recovered as you.”

“With that in mind, have you seen the Leftenant?” he asked.

“My first stop when I got here,” she replied. “She’s still out of it, barely staying awake.”

“Yes. I visit her often but she always seems… out of it. I thought it best to let her rest as much as possible.”

“Always looking out for her.” She sat down and exhaled. “Whatever that happened when the box was destroyed really did a number on her.”

“Indeed. Speaking of the effects of the box, how is Joe?”

Jenny exhaled and leaned over, clasping her hands together. “I can’t believe he’s still alive. It doesn’t make any sense. I shot him in the chest but… he changed back and… there was a hole in his shoulder. I just don’t get it. It feels like a dream or something.”

“Miracles, Jenny,” Ichabod said. “I do not question them, anymore. I am just fine with accepting them.”

“Not a bad way to live.”

“I’m growing accustomed to it more and more.”

* * *

Later that day, Ichabod had had enough of being confined to his room and took a walk around the hospital grounds. It felt good to get some fresh air after days of being trapped in the hospital. He stopped and examined some of foliage in the area. He was enjoying the scenery but the experience wasn’t complete as someone was missing, the only other person who shared in all of his pleasant experiences lately.

Abbie.

With everything that had occurred since the whole ordeal with Pandora’s Box started, he had been seeing Abbie in a very different light. He exhaled when he realized that was a lie: he’d seen her in a different a light long before that. He just couldn’t admit to himself or to her. He came close to losing her again and still never had the courage to take the risk he wanted to for her.

‘ _Perhaps that needs to change,_ ’ Ichabod thought to himself. He decided to take a risk and speak from his heart what he had long held back.

Ichabod walked to Abbie’s room and saw her watching television, though she seemed to be resting more than anything.

Abbie turned toward him as he closed the door and she smiled at him, “Hey, you.”

“Hello,” Ichabod smiled. “You… seem a slight weary.”

She motioned, lazily, toward the IV bag, “Just the meds.”

“I can visit some other time.”

“No, stay. Haven’t talked to you in a while.” She motioned toward one of the chairs in near her bed. “Come on. Sit.”

He gave a small nod then sat down in the chair next to her bed.

She smiled at him, “We spend way too much time in hospitals.”

“I couldn’t agree more.”

She laughed, softly. “We made it through. Again.”

“I’m always grateful when we do.”

“Who do think that guy was? That… Golan or whatever his name was.”

“At the moment, I’m not concerned.” He sat back. “I’m just… relieved.”

“Me, too.” She observed his mannerisms. He looked exhausted. “You talked about me and you look just as tired, Crane. Go. Get some rest. I’m fine.”

“I’m comfortable here.”

“You look like you could fall asleep in that chair.”

He took a deep breath. “It’s not an unlikely outcome. This chair is quite comfortable actually.”

“The same chair’s in your room.”

“Nonsense. This one has more… cushion.”

She smiled and shook her head.

“All the same, I am comfortable,” he added.

“Admit it: you just wanna stay close to me.”

He stared at her, “If you assumed I had any trouble admitting that, you are mistaken.”

She smiled and made herself slightly more comfortable. Her mind went back to final moments of the Box. “It was close this time.”

“Uncomfortably so. But they always are.”

“You know I was ready to sacrifice myself, right?”

“There was a never a doubt in my mind, but I wasn’t going to let you do that for me. Not again. Not if I can prevent it.”

“Why don’t just let me take risks for you sometimes?” she asked.

“You take risks for me every day, it seems,” he replied. “When do I do the same for you?”

She smiled. “When do you want to?”

“Every day. I would gladly do it every day.”

She held her smile. “See? That’s one thing we will always have in common.”

He smiled. “I’ll be grateful for it, always.”

“Me, too.”

He took a low breath, stood up, and walked toward her, stopping at the side of her bed. “Abbie…”

He had said her name before. Between that and ‘Leftenant’, she was used to it. But something was different. It was how he said that caused her breath to catch a little.

“With all of the events that have taken place and things that have been said,” Ichabod explained, “there… are things I want to say… that I haven’t said. That… I feel I must.”

“What do you need to say?” she asked.

He took a deep breath. “I just… feel as though…”

A knock came to the door and their attention was drawn from each other when the door opened to reveal Daniel Reynolds.

“Hello, all,” he waved.

“Oh, hey, Danny,” Abbie greeted.

“Greetings, Agent Reynolds,” Ichabod welcomed.

“How you guys doing?” Danny asked.

“Pretty good,” Abbie answered.

“No worse for wear, thankfully,” Ichabod said. He felt a tinge of disappointment that Danny had arrived but managed to hide it. He placed his hands behind his back, “Well… I’m sure the two of you have much to discuss.”

“Crane…” Abbie said, knowing he had something to say. Quite frankly, she’d rather be talking with Ichabod than Danny anyway.

“It’s alright, Leftenant. I’ll be nearby should you require anything.” He turned to Danny and gave a polite head nod, “Agent Reynolds.”

“Ichabod,” Danny nodded back.

Ichabod exited the room and, after walking down the hallway a bit and feeling he was a safe enough distance, his hands tightened into fists. “You can never just state your point, can you?! No! You must go on a tirade! Most can simply state their point thereby making all feelings clear and concise therefore moving forward with their lives but you, Ichabod Crane! You are a buffoon of the highest caliber.” He exhaled and looked around. “Then you proceed to chide yourself alone where no one is listening! One would think I’ve lost all semblance of sanity. I’m inclined to agree for the simple fact that I’m _still_ … _talking_ … _to myself!_ ”

He walked around the corner and bumped into a tall, bald-headed, dark-skinned man wearing a leather motorcycle jacket, black shirt, and jeans.

“Whoa!” the man exclaimed.

“Oh!” Ichabod said. He grabbed the man’s arms and started straightening his jacket, “Oh, good grief! My apologies, sir. I’m afraid my mind is elsewhere.”

The man smiled and waved him off, “No harm done, so, think nothing of it. We all become lost in our own world in way or another.”

Ichabod placed his hands to his side, his fingers subtly twitching. “True words.”

The man looked Ichabod over. “You seem troubled.”

Ichabod shook his head. “As you say, lost in my own world. That I, regrettably, share alone. Mostly… at own error.”

“I’ve found that, rarely, do we share our worlds alone. There is always someone there with us in one form or another.”

“Perhaps. A better wording, then, would be… not in the way I wish.”

“That, I understand.” The man patted Ichabod’s shoulder. “Don’t worry about it, my good man. Perhaps your world won’t be ‘alone’ forever.”

“One can only hope.” Ichabod took a deep breath. “Thank you, sir. You seem quite the upright fellow.”

The man smiled. “I’m sure my father would be glad to hear that.” He patted Ichabod’s shoulder again. “You have a good day, sir.”

“I will do the best I can.”

The man chuckled softly and walked off.

Ichabod exhaled and decided to go lay back down. While he did feel slightly better than he felt a minute ago, he still found he was very exhausted.

* * *

“You sure you’re okay?” Danny asked.

“A few more days of rest and I’ll be good to go,” Abbie replied.

“That’s good.”

She could see it in his body language. There was something else on his mind and, despite her exhausted state, she already knew what it was. “Are you just gonna stand there or are you gonna say something?”

He exhaled. “I just gotta know something going forward.”

“And that is?”

“Is there any us? Or… is there any chance that there will be?”

Abbie took a moment to consider that. In a lot of ways, things would be easier if she said ‘yes.’ A lot of things. But then she realized: she wouldn’t be happier. She took a deep breath. “No. I’m sorry.”

To her surprise and his, Danny smirked. “Yeah, I kinda figured that.” He nodded and exhaled. “I’ll still be around… if you need anything.”

“Thanks.”

He turned to leave. “And, for the record, I hope you get him.”

“Say what?”

He held his smile and opened the door, “You heard me.” He walked through it, closing the door behind him.

Abbie wanted to act like she had no idea what he was talking about but she couldn’t lie to herself. After all, the thought had been going through her mind quite often lately.

Her and Ichabod.

At one time, it would have felt like the most ridiculous of ideas to her. Now, it felt like it was right. More than that, it was what she wanted. Part of her was wondering if he felt the same. The other part already knew the answer.

* * *

The motorcycle jacket wearer walked into the ICU. He stopped at the nurses’ station and waited for someone to approach. A nurse walked up. “Yes, how can…” Her eyes widened and she stared at the face of the man. “Mr. Thane?”

“Hello, Mera,” Edom replied with a smile.

“Hello, sir!” Mera nodded. “Uh… we didn’t know you’d be here already.”

“Just stopping through to take care of some business. I have some other things to look into before I relocate here, permanently. Where is Joe Corbin’s room?”

“Oh. Down the hall, fifth door to the left. Room 104.”

“Good,” Edom said.

“He’s resting right now,” Mera added.

“It’s just as well. This won’t take long.”

“Yes, sir.”

Edom walked to the room and found Joe on life support. “Hm. One could consider it ‘luck’ or good fortune that you’re still alive, young man.” He pulled out a vial of a gold liquid from his pocket. “But I know the truth. It’s the stock you come from. You are every bit as strong as your father was. Despite what the Hidden One tried to do, your time is not up, Mr. Corbin. And there is still much for you to do, young man.”

* * *

**_Brussels, Belgium._ **

Migron sat at the dinner table in his mansion, eating the last of his dinner. He looked at the energy swirl form at the right of the table. Golan stepped in and bowed.

“Well, you certainly took your sweet time getting back here,” Migron replied.

“Apologies, leader,” Golan replied. “I took a few days after killing those fools in Sleepy Hollow and running a few errands.”

“Hm.” Migron looked him over. “For challenging a god, you don’t… look as though you did, even if it’s been two weeks.”

“The Hidden One was already weakened by the time I arrived.” Golan sat down, “His powers were absorbed back into that box, thanks to the Witnesses.”

Migron growled, rubbing his left temple. “Again, with that damned box!” He looked at Golan, “Please tell me you destroyed that thing!”

“Yes. And killed Pandora.” Golan presented the red gem.

“Good,” Migron exhaled, relieved, while Golan put the gem away. “Finally, we’re done with those two fools.” He set his fork down. “Sleepy Hollow. That’s right. That’s where Pandora went. Did you meet the Witnesses?”

“Yes. Two humans. Nothing to be worried about.”

“Is that so?”

“Of course. It’s not like we haven’t come up against such opposition before and we aren’t even in conflict with them right now.”

“The future is still to be written and Witnesses always make a difference,” Migron said.

“Despite that, how much trouble could they give us?” Golan asked. “This isn’t the age where magic is as prevalent as it used to be. They fight with limited resources which places them at a severe disadvantage. If we fight them, we will destroy them easily.”

“I’m sure Moloch would agree with you.” Migron paused. “Oh, wait. He’s dead.”

Golan shifted in his seat, uncomfortably.

“If and when the time comes for us to come against them, we’ll take these humans seriously.” Migron went back to his meal. “In the meantime, we have our own business to attend to. We need to find the Souls.”

“Yes, leader. What about Sleepy Hollow?”

Migron waved it off, “Leave it be.”

“And the Witnesses?”

“They may become an issue,” Migron admitted, “but, for now, leave them be, as well. Destroying Pandora’s Box will give them much to dwell upon.”

“Of course, my leader.” Golan sat back. “The Witnesses. Do you, truly, feel we’ll have to worry about them should we have to face them?”

Migron glared at him, set his fork down, and leaned on the table. “Listen to me, Golan, and listen well. Humans always make the difference. _Always_.” He waved his hand, “Look at all these two stopped so far: Moloch, a crazed witch, and now the Hidden One and his messenger. Who knows what else they faced and defeated on the roads to those ends. You may have killed those fools but you said that the Hidden One was already weak?”

“Yes.”

“Then they came up with a plan to weaken a _god!_ Yes, the Hidden One was a pathetic excuse for a god, but a god nonetheless. Which proves, beyond any doubt, that these Witnesses should not be underestimated. None of what I mentioned should be possible for two humans with no power. But that’s the point: they _do_ have power. Together. When humans join together, a great many thing is possible, and we have met Witnesses before but this…” he tapped his finger on the table, “…this is different.”

“How?” Golan asked.

“If I had to pinpoint it, it’s the Witnesses themselves,” Migron answered.

Golan nodded, understandingly. “Then why not allow me to kill them?”

“First, it’s a matter of respect. I would never forgive myself if I allowed either that fool Hidden One or ridiculous ilk to be victorious at this point in time, and the Witnesses’ deaths would be a victory for him. Second, they stood against the Hidden One and survived. That earned them some measure of reprieve, if but a moment. I hate the idea of that fool winning any more than he already did. Third, and finally, if we can avoid their focus while we work, so be it. And, if we are forced to face them, then that is the true test for us. We destroy these Witnesses and there will be nothing left to stand in our way.”

“Of course, leader.”

“So, again, for now, we leave Sleepy Hollow be.”

“Yes, leader.”

“Get as much rest as you can, Golan, and worry not about the Witnesses,” Migron said. “We have far greater concerns and so very much to do. And, ironically enough… so do they.”


	3. Chapter 2: Back in the Saddle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Ichabod and Abbie leave the hospital, they reflect, individually, about the other and they mean to each other. They do not have long to think about it, however, as a friend of Abbie's from the sheriff's department contacts her for help.

**_Sleepy Hollow._ **

Edom moved the oxygen mask off of Joe’s face, opened his mouth a bit, and poured the liquid from the vial into Joe’s mouth.

“That should do it.” Edom moved the vial and wiped Joe’s mouth with a tissue, placing the oxygen mask back. “You’ll never be afflicted the Wendigo curse again, Mr. Corbin. Fortunately for you, Wendigo physiology works different from a human. However, your saving grace was that fool Hidden One forced your transformation in such way that a gaping hole in the chest of your monstrous form wasn’t your death.” He smiled. “Miracles. Aren’t they wonderful?”

Joe slept, soundly, peacefully breathing on his own.

“I’m so sorry I wasn’t there to save your father, Joe. He was a great man. He was an even better friend. I hope, when you’re well, we can become such. God bless you, child. You have many destinies to choose from and all of them will be great.”

The door opened and Ezra Mills walked in. When saw Edom, he stopped.

“Edom Thane,” Ezra smiled.

“Ezra Mills!” Edom smiled, walked over to Ezra, and hugged him, “Blessings, good child!” He patted Ezra’s back. He backed away and looked Ezra over. “You’re looking well.”

“Life’s been pretty good to me, lately.”

“A blessing, in and of itself.”

“You should meet my daughters!” Ezra said.

“I will,” Edom replied. “In time. But not yet. It’s not quite time that I relocate to Sleepy Hollow.”

“Why? What’s wrong?”

“I have a few things to check on. I felt the destruction of Pandora’s Box and the Order gave me reports about young Corbin’s condition. I came here to make sure he was made well. He doesn’t deserve to be afflicted with a curse such as this.”

“That’s the truth,” Ezra agreed.

“Trust me, I’ll be back,” Edom reassured, “but it would seem my old enemies are changing their strategy a bit. And new enemies yet to be revealed are preparing for something.”

“You always did love to talk in riddles.”

“Oh, come now, young Mr. Mills,” Edom waved his hand. “I just love to talk.”

Ezra scoffed. “Yeah. ‘Young’.”

“Young to me.”

Ezra chuckled. He looked at Joe, “My daughter, Jenny… she loves him.”

Edom nodded, “Good for her. He comes from good stock.”

“It’s nice to see her happy after all she’s been through.”

“I’m sure. What of your other daughter, Abigail?”

“She’s fine. Doing well. She’s here, too.”

“I know,” Edom said. “I wanted to check on her but I ran into Ichabod Crane.”

“I thought you knew him,” Ezra said.

Edom smiled. “He didn’t remember. It’s just as well for now. We’ll speak in time and I’m sure the memories will come back then. It was a long time ago.”

Ezra nodded and looked at Joe, “He’s gonna be okay, right?”

“Yes. He’s out of danger but he won’t be moving around for a good while. The potion was simply to eradicate the last of the Wendigo curse from his body.”

“Jenny’ll be happy to hear that.”

Edom nodded, “Good.” He checked his watch. “I must go. The work is never done.”

“For any of us.”

Edom clapped Ezra’s shoulder, “Take care of yourself, Ezra, and watch over Mr. Corbin. I’ll see you soon.”

“Thank you, Sir Thane,” Ezra said.

“Such honorifics. I hardly think I’m worthy anymore.”

“Still are to me.”

Edom chuckled softly as he made his exit.

* * *

Abbie’s recovery went well and she began to make her first steps to leaving the hospital, taking walks up and down the hallway. Even after he was discharged, Ichabod was there every day checking on her, taking all of the steps with her to make sure that she never fell or lost her balance. After two weeks, Abbie was finally given the clear to go home and, despite advice from everyone else, return to work the next day. It was the night before she was to be discharged and Ichabod was packing her bags.

“I will be thrilled when we can leave this place behind,” Ichabod said.

“Until another demon or witch puts us right back here,” Abbie said from the bathroom.

Ichabod tapped some of the clothes he was holding. “That does seem to be our _modus operandi_ of late.” He placed the clothes in the suitcase and started folding a few more.

She walked back in and saw him. She smiled and shook her head. “I’m not an invalid, Crane. I can pack my own bags.”

“Yes but better to be prepared, all the same. And you have been through a traumatic experience.”

“And you weren’t in the same room?”

He paused and stared at her. “But only one of us was almost lost forever to that infernal magical contraption.”

His tone of voice and the look in his eyes completely gave himself away. He had hoped to hide how much that terrified him from her. He failed.

Abbie folded her arms. “I scared you, didn’t I?”

Ichabod opened his mouth to deny it, not wanting to worry her. But, instead, only the truth wanted to come out. He took a breath. “Yes.”

She searched for the best way to respond to that. “I was doing the right thing, so, I’m not gonna apologize for that. But… that doesn’t mean I can’t be sorry for scaring you. And I am sorry.”

“It’s alright.”

“No, it’s not.” She walked up to him and looked him in the eyes. “I was just doing the right thing for both us. I wasn’t trying to hurt you.”

“I have always been aware of that,” he said.

“It just feels like trying to do the right thing for you… _always_ hurts you in some way.”

“But never with a malicious intent. You’ve never aimed to do me harm.”

“Doesn’t mean I don’t feel bad for doing it anyway. One day, I’m going to make it up to you. All of it.”

He placed his hand on her suitcase. “Give me your word… that we will always have each other and consider it ‘made up’.”

She stared into his eyes, forgetting to answer for a second. “I promise.”

They both exhaled and took a step back from each other; both wondering, individually, why they did.

* * *

The next day, Abbie walked into her office at the FBI and sat down, exhaling as she did so. She looked in her drawers to make sure everything was where she left it. She found a picture frame that was facedown and pulled it out. It was of her and Ichabod at a recent festival. She forgot all about it. She brought it to the office, but never got a chance to put it anywhere because something always stopped her. She moved some items out of the way and put the picture in plain view. She stared at and remembered him still arguing with her about the merits of selfies and, in his words, “a proper photograph should be taken.”

She shook her head, conceded, and, as much she hated to admit, was glad that she did. It was one of her favorite pictures. They were hugging each other and Jenny teased them that it looked like they were on a date. Abbie denied it then.

Now, some part of her wished it was true.

Her office phone rang, bringing her back to reality. She answered it, “Mills.”

“ _Abbie?_ ” a male voice came from the other line. “ _This is Raymond Merck with the Sheriff’s department._ ”

“Hey, Ray! How are you?”

“ _I’m doing good. I’m sorry to bother you, I wasn’t sure if you were back or not._ ”

“I’m back,” she said. “Mostly. What’s going on?”

“ _Well,_ ” Ray began, “ _I hate to bother you but there is something weird going on and I figured you’d be the one to ask._ ”

“It’s Sleepy Hollow; it’s always something weird going on.”

“ _Well, it’s classified as an animal attack but I’ve never seen anything like this. It’s like a dog or wolf attack but it’s… bigger._ ”

“Bigger how?” Abbie asked.

“ _Can I email you some photos?_ ” Ray asked, in return.

“Sure thing.”

Abbie check her computer and saw the pictures of a paw print but it looked to be the size of a hubcap. “Whoa.”

“ _Same thing I said,_ ” Ray replied.

“Okay. What do you need?”

“ _Can you come take a look at this? This may be outside of bureau business but…_ ”

“Actually… this may be _exactly_ the kind of thing the bureau needs to look into. I’ll be out there soon.”

“ _Thanks, Abbie,_ ” Ray replied.

“No problem. See you soon.” Abbie hung up and exhaled. “Here we go again.”

* * *

Glad to finally be home, Ichabod went about as normal, cleaning up around the house since it had been a few weeks since he and Abbie been home. He was going about when he ran across a picture of Abbie. He picked it up and gazed at it, lightly touching the glass.

“Abbie…” he whispered to himself. He shook his head. “So much to say. My inability to say it is the problem.” The phone in the house rang. He walked over and answered it, “Hello. The Residence of Abigail Mills. How may I help you?”

“ _You can just say ‘hello’ and stop there,_ ” Abbie said.

He could practically see her smile. “As long as I am answering the phone of your home, I will do so as sees fit.”

She scoffed. “ _Some things never change. I got a call from the Sheriff’s office._ ”

“Has something happened? Wait. Of course something has happened. Something has _always_ happened. I can hardly recall a time when something hasn’t happened.”

“ _We were in the hospital for a month,_ ” she reminded.

“Touché,” he conceded.

“ _I don’t know all the details, but a friend is asking for a favor. I was about to go look into it. Wanna tag along?_ ”

“Of course.”

“ _Thought so. I’m coming by to pick you up. I’ll be there in about 15 minutes._ ”

“I shall be ready.”

“ _See you in a few._ ” She ended the call.

He pressed the END button and placed the phone back. He exhaled, “Maybe someday I shan’t be a coward and he ready for more.” He ignored his own annoyances and hurried to get ready to leave.

* * *

As they were in the car, heading for the sight of commotion, Abbie explained the situation to Ichabod; at least, as much as she knew.

“An _animal_ attack?!” Ichabod asked, offended. “I was not aware we were… dog retrievers.”

“Catchers,” Abbie corrected. “Dog _catchers_?”

“‘Catchers’, ‘retrievers.’ It’s demeaning either way. There is very little difference by saying, ‘You’ve saved the world, would it be a terrible inconvenience to find our missing pup?’”

“You could’ve stayed home, ya know.”

“You are still recovering. If you are to travel about, I’m staying by your side until you’re fully recovered.”

“Such a gentleman.”

“I strive to be such.”

“But, o chivalrous one, you’re not at a 100% either,” she reminded.

“To start, I do appreciate you calling me ‘chivalrous’,” he replied. “Second, I’ll manage just fine. Isn’t that the point of our partnership, to be there for each other? I believe you’ve mentioned that to me many a time. I believe we even made a promise to each other.”

“Just have to use my own words against me, don’t you?”

“Only if the occasion calls for it.”

“You just like being right,” she said.

“I will neither confirm nor deny that,” he declared.

“You can but you won’t.”

“I believe the Fifth Amendment protects me from self-incrimination.”

“I knew you were gonna bring that up.”

“You know me quite well.”

A quick laugh escaped from Abbie. “If it makes you feel better, this isn’t a typical dog attack. Reports said that it was more of a wolf and it was the size of a car.”

Ichabod stared at her with a blank expression. “Oh. Well. This should prove to be quite the outing then.”

“Aren’t they all?”

Abbie and Ichabod arrived at the sight of the attack and found Deputy Raymond Merck looking over the damage. Ray stood at 5’10” with an athletic build, was of Caucasian and Native American descent, and a couple of years younger than Abbie. He had medium length hair that he had tied in a ponytail. Along with his sheriff’s uniform, he had aviator sunglasses hanging from his shirt. Ray stood in front of a house in the suburbs where a car had a severe dent in the passenger side door and a massive indenture on the garage door.

Abbie and Ichabod got out of her car and walked up to him. “Ray!” Abbie called out.

Ray turned around, “Abbie! Mr. Crane!”

“Ah, Raymond!” Ichabod said. He looked at Abbie, “You didn’t tell me it was Raymond who requested our assistance.”

“Didn’t know if you’d remember him,” Abbie replied.

“I do not know who that was meant to offend more.”

Ray chuckled, “I’m not offended, don’t worry.”

“When did you get promoted?” Abbie asked.

“About two months ago.”

“Congrats.”

“Thanks.”

“What do we got?” Abbie asked.

Ray exhaled. “Your guess has got to better than mine!” He walked them through what happened, “So, Brent Robinson lives here with his family. He came out last night about 3 in the morning when something like a crash woke him up.” He motioned toward the car then garage the door, “Saw the damage and caught the literal tail end of a wolf going back toward the forest this way. This morning, he and his family are staying out of town for a couple of days.” He pointed north toward the trees. “A few hours before that, we get a report from some kids making out in the forest about seeing a giant wolf. It sounded insane until, oh, say, 3 AM.”

Abbie exhaled. “Just another day in Sleepy Hollow.”

“Yeah.” Ray looked at garage door then back at them. “The department knows that I called you in, Abbie, if you’re up to it.”

Abbie looked at Ichabod, who gave her a nod. She turned back to Ray, “We’re in.”

“Great! Would you both mind helping me searching the area for it?”

“No problem.” Just then, a realization hit Abbie. “Wait, they sent you out here by yourself?”

“The department doesn’t want to admit to anything right now,” Ray informed. “The past couple of years, things have just been too weird. But, if my mother taught me anything, things that are weird… have every possibility of being real. I don’t mind looking into the weird, so I volunteered for the assignment. I was on the short list.” He paused. “I was the _only_ one on the list.”

“Well, you were so generous to offer it to us,” Ichabod said, “allow us to be of aid to you.”

“Very much appreciated, Mr. Crane.” Ray went over to his truck, “The wolf or whatever was last seen heading north into the forest. Start there?”

“As good a place as any,” Abbie said. “We’ll follow your lead.”

“Thanks, guys.” Ray got in the truck and started his truck.

Abbie looked at Ichabod as they headed back for her SUV, “Looks like we’re right back in the saddle.”

“I can’t recall much time being spent out of it.”

“Me, neither. But when was the last time we went hunting for a monster?”

“I can’t recollect. But I can confidently say… it hasn’t been long enough.”

She shrugged and nodded in agreement.

The next few hours were spent with the trio following the tracks of the large wolf. They followed them well into the evening until they came to an old abandoned farm house in the middle of an open field where the tracks clearly led. They scouted out barn from the edge of the forest.

“If this were a horror movie,” Ray began, “this would be the part where I’d tell my girlfriend ‘why they hell are they going in there?’”

“You’re gonna find out a lot of those moments happen around us,” Abbie said.

“But, to err on the side of caution,” Ichabod said, “perhaps it would best if you stay here.”

Ray looked at him, confused. “And what? I let you two go after a giant wolf by yourselves? That _I_ asked _you_ to help me look for?”

“It’s not the dumbest thing we’ve done,” Abbie replied.

“Nor will it be the last time we do something questionable,” Ichabod added. “Bringing further concern to our sanity.”

“I’m not sure about this,” Ray said, worriedly.

“It’s for the best.”

“Trust us, Ray,” Abbie said. “If you don’t hear back from us in 15 minutes, go get help.”

Ray took a breath. “Okay. 15 minutes.”

Abbie nodded then she and Ichabod headed for the barn. As they made their way inside, they followed the massive paw prints heading toward the back of the barn and, seconds later, heard heavy breathing.

“I’m reminded of the film _Alien_ at this moment,” Ichabod whispered.

“Could have picked a worse movie reference?” Abbie asked.

Ichabod realized that wasn’t the best thing to say at the moment. “Sorry.”

They came to one of the horse stables and were stunned when they saw a large mass of black fur the size of a small SUV. Both of them were too terrified to make a sound. They didn’t need to for the wolf to slowly lift its head and turn to glare at them. It was then they caught sight of his bright, blood red eyes.

“Oh, crap,” Abbie whispered.

The wolf howled at them.

“Run,” Ichabod said a second before he and Abbie ran, heading for the ladder that led to the second level of the barn as the wolf swiped at them. They huddled on the upper level with the wolf snarling at them from below.

“I’m starting to think we’re a little unprepared for this,” Abbie said.

“I agree,” Ichabod replied.

The wolf growled and leapt at them, swiping his claws. They forced themselves back against the wall.

“Why did we tell Ray to wait?” Abbie asked.

“I haven’t the slightest idea,” Ichabod answered.

The wolf jumped at them again, still unable to reach them.

“You know, I never thought when I died, I’d be a meal,” Abbie asked.

“What was your preferred method of death?” Ichabod asked.

“Anything but this.”

“It can be worse,” Edom declared as he walked into the barn. “You could have your soul trapped in a box. Speaking from experience, I can tell you, it’s quite annoying.”

The wolf turned around to face the newest occupant in the barn as did Abbie and Ichabod.

“Who is that?” Abbie asked.

Ichabod narrowed his eyes. “I’ve met him before.”

Abbie looked at Ichabod, surprised. “What? Where?”

“The hospital.”

Edom looked at the upper level. “Be right with you two. Allow me to handle this.” He looked at the wolf then spoke in another language, “<What is this nonsense? Why are you behaving this way?>”

The wolf growled.

“What did he just say?” Abbie asked.

“I do not know,” Ichabod answered. “I’ve… never heard that language before.”

Edom pulled out a medallion from his pocket. He held it before him, “Hallowed Father, take mercy on the beast, revert him to the noble warrior he once was, and continue to forgive our transgressions.” A soft light shone from it and washed over the wolf.

A flash of green outlined the wolf’s body and it growled louder as its eyes glowed brighter.

Edom’s eyes grew wide. “Okay. That didn’t work.”

The wolf lunged at Edom and moved out of the way just in time as it went crashing through the wall of the barn. Edom looked at the wolf, both bearing their teeth at the other. The wolf launched itself at Edom again but he held up his medallion again.

“ _Sanctus Lux!_ ” Edom shouted.

A violent, blinding light shone from the medallion and the wolf roared in pain as the light seared its skin and threw it back. It howled and took off running, disoriented and wounded, as it ran back for the forest.

Edom watched it run off and exhaled, harshly, “Damn it all.” Ichabod and Abbie climbed the ladder and, slowly, approached him. “Hunting him won’t be any easier, now.”

“I don’t know why anything surprises me anymore,” Abbie whispered.

“Agreed,” Ichabod whispered back. He spoke up, “Good sir! Many thanks for your assistance.”

Edom turned and smiled at them. “Think nothing of it. I just wish I could’ve done more.” He exhaled and looked at the direction the wolf ran off. “I’ll have to track him down all over again. Finding him won’t be easy now that he’s wounded. He’ll be more defensive and I’ll need to find a way to break whatever spell he’s under.”

“But, how did you do that?” Abbie asked. She motioned toward his medallion. “With… that?”

Edom looked back at Abbie and Ichabod, “I would be more than happy to explain that to you. In fact, that’s the very reason why I’m here: to help you. Both of you. And, let me just say, it is so good to meet you in person at long last.” He smiled. “Grace Abigail Mills.”

Abbie stared at him, blankly. “You know, knowing my name? Not the most shocking thing of the night.”

“I didn’t think so. Far stranger has happened to you.” Edom looked at Ichabod. “But you, sir? You should know me.”

Ichabod looked at him, curiously. “I’m sorry?”

Edom smiled. “We’ve met several times, even before the hospital just days ago. Though a lot of the times we met, my face tended to be obscured by a cloak or a thick brimmed hat. Anonymity was very important in those days.” He paused. “Huh. Actually, that’s always been the case.”

Ichabod looked at Abbie, who just shrugged. He looked back at Edom, “I’m… sorry but I still don’t…”

“Remember, I figured as much. Perhaps you will remember from another place: I sometimes wore the filthiest of attire while I worked under the guise of a slave in the stables of Lord William Concord.”

Ichabod’s eyes widened. “Concord?” He stared at Edom. “Edward?”

“Hello, Ichabod Crane,” Edom smiled. “It’s been too long.”

Ichabod was in a stupor. “Edward. How is this is even possible?”

“It would probably be easier to start with that ‘Edward’ is the name you knew me by but not my real name. My name is what George Washington knew my by: Edom. Edom Thane, to most.”

“How are you here? You haven’t aged a day!”

Edom smiled. “My life…” He looked off. “Huh. Interesting to use that word.” He shook off his daze and looked back at Ichabod, “Anyway, my life is complicated. You’re about to find out how much.”

“How so?” Ichabod asked.

“As I said, I’m here to help you and I need your help. For, unless I miss my guess, your next mission as Witnesses… has already begun.”


	4. Chapter 3: Angels & Wolves

Ray ran into the barn and saw Abbie and Ichabod talking with Edom. He let out a sigh of relief, “Oh, thank God!” He put his hand on his chest. “I saw a dinosaur with fur burst outta here and I thought he had you two for his dinner!”

“All’s well here,” Ichabod said. “For the moment.”

Edom smiled at Ray, “Hello, there! Edom Thane! A pleasure to meet you!”

“Uhh… Deputy Raymond Merck,” Ray replied.

“Deputy!” Edom held his hand out. “An honor!”

Ray was still unsure but shook his hand, “Um, same here, Mr. Thane.” He looked at Abbie. “Abbie, who’s your friend?”

“Well, he saved our lives but friend is… not clear yet,” Abbie replied.

Edom nodded. “A fair statement.”

“So, not changing the subject, but that wolf,” Ray said.

“Yes?”

“Yes.” Ray stared at the whole in the barn then back at the others. “WHAT?!”

Edom chuckled. “Well, that may require some explaining.” He brightened. “The Archives! I believe they will hold the information we need!”

“You know about that?” Abbie asked.

“Know about it? I helped build it.”

Abbie shook his head, “I would say this is crazy if I wasn’t used to crazy.”

“You think this is crazy?” Edom chuckled and walked past them, “Wait ‘til we get started.”

Ray watched him exit the barn, “I know what I said about ‘weird’ but this may be more than I signed up for.”

“Raymond, if you wish to leave this crusade to us, we would not take offense,” Ichabod declared.

Ray looked around then back at them. “Part of me wants to leave, go home, drink and pass this off as a hangover.” He chuckled. “But I brought you both in on this. I should at least see it through to the end.”

“Admirable. Thank you.”

“And if I miss out on this now, I’ll regret it for the rest of my life.”

“I know the feeling,” Abbie smirked.

Ray gave a shrug, “Let’s do it!”

Ichabod smiled. “Very well, then. Shall we?”

Abbie and Ichabod took Edom and Ray back to the Archives. On the way there, they called Jenny to meet them. She arrived via the tunnels to find Ichabod and Abbie at their usual table, with a deputy she hadn’t met before and a tall black man with a bald head with them. Jenny’s mind flashed to the Hidden One for a second but, when the new man looked at her, smiled, and nodded, she felt that this was someone who could be trusted. That, alone, was rare. While Jenny knew there was a possibility she could be wrong, Abbie said there would be new people in the Archives, and it wouldn’t be the first time it took Jenny a while to trust someone. Jenny was still unsure about Sophie Foster at times, despite everything.

Jenny walked over to Ichabod and Abbie then nudged toward Edom, “New friend?”

“So far,” Abbie replied. “That’s Edom Thane.”

“Oh.” Jenny looked at Ray, “We just can’t keep the sheriff’s department out of our lives, can we?”

“In my defense, I kinda brought this on myself,” Ray said. He walked up to Jenny and extended his hand, “Ray Merck.”

“Jenny Mills.” Jenny shook his hand.

Ray smiled, “Abbie’s sister! Pleasure to meet ya.”

“You, too. You know most of the department wants to arrest me.”

“Well, given what I’ve seen tonight, I’m willing to let a lot slide. Besides, I haven’t seen your case files. Not interested.”

“Good to know,” Jenny said.

They all shifted their eyes back toward Edom as he looked around with a smile on his face. “This place has hardly changed in nearly three centuries.” Edom chuckled. “Something to be said for consistency.”

“My dad said nothing is in the same place,” Abbie admitted.

“He’s right but I’m used to messes. Ezra always liked to have things in a particular order. One of his many quirks.”

Abbie and Jenny looked at each other, surprised, before looking back at Edom.

“You… you know our dad?” Abbie asked.

Edom looked at Abbie. “Yes, I do. He’s a good man and a good friend. I knew August Corbin, as well. He was another good friend.” He looked down then back up with rueful exhale, “Now, that I finally get to meet you both, face to face, I need to say this: Abigail, Jennifer, for all of the tragedy that has come to your lives, collectively and individually… I am truly sorry. I wish to the Almighty that I could remove that tragedy and place it upon myself.”

Abbie looked at Jenny and Ichabod, who both wore looks of surprise on their faces. Abbie focused back on Edom. “Who are you?”

“Complicated is the answer to that particular question, actually,” Edom answered. “It will be easier to start with _what_ I am. The quickest answer is I’m an angel.”

The whole room took a second to process what they just heard.

“You’re an angel?” Abbie asked.

“That I am,” Edom answered.

“Like… from Heaven angel?” Ray asked.

“That is to say that you have left Heaven to come to Earth,” Ichabod said.

Edom nodded, “Yes. One of those kind, yes.”

Ray stared at Edom, blankly. “Huh.”

Ichabod looked at Abbie, “I believe that we should have built up immunity to the shock at this sort of thing by now.”

“No kidding,” she replied. “And, out of everything, why does _that_ surprise us? It’s not like we haven’t already met one.”

Edom squinted his eyes, “You’ve met one?”

“Yes,” Ichabod answered. “Quite the unpleasant fellow named Orion.”

Edom exhaled and rolled his eyes, “Oh.” He put his hands on his hips. “Orion. Yes. He… he tends to behave like a… a…”

“A jackass?” Abbie asked.

“That’s a good word. After he escaped Purgatory, I keep meaning to track him down but something else always gets my attention. Glad you managed to stay alive against him.”

“Yes, it was an interesting outing,” Ichabod added.

Edom smiled. “It’s nice to hear some of the old vernacular. I slip in and out of it all the time.”

“I noticed,” Abbie smirked. “Interesting to have two of you around.”

“Yes, isn’t wonderful to have… two of ‘us’?” Ichabod stared at her, indignantly while also amused.

Edom looked back and forth between them then began to pace, “Well, to further explain, I am or was, as it is classified, a seraph.”

“Quite the high order in the angel hierarchy, if I recall correctly,” Ichabod said.

“Very much so.”

“So, why are you on Earth?” Abbie asked.

“Some time after the crucifixion of Christ, a small gathering of angels perceived mankind as… unworthy of our Lord’s sacrifice. Actually, they felt humanity was too sick to live long before then.” Edom scoffed. “They thought they knew better than God.”

“That doesn’t sound good,” Jenny said.

Edom stared, gravely, at the wall, “No. No, it wasn’t.” He exhaled and turned around, “They began a campaign to… ‘cleanse the world of the unrighteous’ or so they claimed.”

“Didn’t Lucifer share a similar?” Ichabod asked.

“Not exactly. As you know, he believed himself to be God’s equal or greater. Now, his mission is more one of taking as many souls with him to the abyss, when the time is right, as possible.”

Ichabod took a deep, shaken breath. “Lovely.”

“Indeed.”

“Did you stop them?” Abbie asked. “The… rogue angels?”

Edom considered his answer. “More or less. But it wasn’t just me. A handful of were sent. We took the title of archangels and came to Earth as needed.”

“How many of you?”

Edom shrugged. “No one but the Father truly knows the number.”

“If their plans were stopped, why have you not returned to your previous station?” Ichabod asked.

“Permanent assignment, one could say. I am to watch over Earth and mankind for as long as I am required until such time as I’m ordered back or killed.”

“Can an angel die?” Ray asked.

Edom paused for more than a handful of seconds. He looked at Ray, “I assure you, Deputy, they very much can. It happens quite often.” He looked down. “More so than I would like.”

“Can I ask what happens to them?”

“I’ll put it this way: it’s extremely painful.”

Edom’s somber mood told them there was more to everything than what he was saying. But the pain in his eyes kept them from pressing further.

Edom quickly shook off his mood. “Oh! A thousand pardons for that.” He waved his hand around, “I tend to get lost in my own memory.” He looked at Jenny, “To far more important matters, Jennifer, how is Joe doing?”

Jenny blinked in surprise. “Oh. He, uh, he’s fine. The doctors said with another a couple of weeks he’ll be back to full strength.”

Edom exhaled in relief. “That is good news! No side effects, yes? He’s not supposed to show any more signs of the curse.”

“He’s all good.” Jenny pointed at him, tentatively. “Did… you have something to do with that?”

Edom just smiled and gave a shrug. “Traces of the curse were still inside of him. I made sure that all of those traces were completely removed.”

Jenny took a deep breath, holding back any tears. “Thank you.”

Edom gave a slight bow.

“I have a question,” Abbie raised her hand.

“Yes, of course!”

“Do all angels have last names?”

Edom chuckled. “No. It’s a name I borrowed. It makes things easier in this world to travel about with a last name. It comes from an old friend. Cedrick Thane, good man. A _very_ good man. He was one of my closest confidants and he considered me a brother. He aided me in my mission during the early 15th century.” He chuckled. “I miss his quick wit.”

“As many, many questions as I do have,” Ichabod said, “the wolf?”

“Ah!” Edom started looking around, “Er… uh… yes!” He started searching through the books, “To begin… his name is Gate.”

“Gate?” Abbie asked.

“That thing’s got a name?!” Ray shouted.

“Yes,” Edom kept searching. “Alright, Ezra may have been right this time. I can find _nothing!_ How do you all work in here?!”

“Quite easily,” Ichabod defended.

“I cannot possibly see how, Ichabod Crane! This place is a disaster!” Edom huffed then he looked at Ichabod. “How could you let this grand place fall into such disarray?!”

“I hardly think that’s an accurate description.”

“Quite the reverse. It is entirely _too_ accurate! Yes. This will have to be reorganized! All of it!”

“I beg your pardon!” Ichabod replied.

“‘Tis a fool’s errand to find anything here!” Edom cried out. “At this rate, Gate will have fed one some poor humans all because the simple act of organization has been lost upon this century!”

“I am _not_ from this century!”

“But you’ve adopted their methods all the same! That is to say nothing for their carelessness!”

“It’s like watching an episode of _Sherlock_ ,” Ray said to Abbie and Jenny.

“Who would be Sherlock?” Jenny asked.

“Scary answer yet great at the same time? Both of them.”

“Gentlemen,” Abbie stepped up to Ichabod and Edom, causing them to stop, “you’re both very eloquent. What are we looking for?”

Edom composed himself. “An ancient book of curses. I fear Gate is still under a curse he was afflicted by long before Pandora captured him in the first place.”

“Pandora captured him?”

“She captured a great many power to feed that arrogant, annoying monster she called a lover.”

“Is that what brought you here?” Jenny asked.

“Yes.” Edom paced a little. “I was just coming off another hunt when I sensed the power released by the destruction of Pandora’s Box. It released far more than you know, and it will attract more.”

“So, you felt the power coming through…”

“And I made a few more stops before coming, what I consider, home.”

“And then you saved us from a monster that would make the animators of _Game of Thrones_ jealous,” Abbie pointed out.

Edom gasped and brightened, “Don’t you love that show?! My goodness, that Red Wedding had me completely grief stricken for days.”

“That… program is an affront!” Ichabod said.

“On many senses. That’s actually half of the fun.”

“Told you it was good,” Abbie said to Ichabod. “We should’ve kept watching.”

“Absolutely not! I refuse to partake in that show as long as that buffoon Joffery usurps the iron throne.”

“You might wanna see season four,” Edom said.

“Pardon me?”

Edom just gave a knowing smile.

Ichabod stared at him then looked at Abbie, “We are watching it the second we have a moment’s reprieve.”

Abbie smiled, “Told ya so.”

Edom chuckled then looked under a nearby shelf and saw something. He bent down and got a better look. “Tower of Babel!” He rushed over and easily moved the heavy shelf aside. He picked up the book and smacked his hand against the cover, “This is _not_ how you treat antique tomes of grand powers and ancient history! That’s it! I am taking over this place!”

Ichabod looked at him offended then opened his mouth.

“Before you two start!” Abbie said. “How do we stop Gate or save him?”

Edom looked at Abbie, “Yes.” He took the book over to a desk and opened it up. He searched all over and finally found what he was looking for. “Damn it all. I was afraid of this.”

“What?” Abbie asked as they all gathered around the book.

“He’s cursed by Bloodsky, a Yenaldooshi.” Edom groaned. “How she irritates me. Her and her ilk. Awful creatures. Can’t stand the sight of them. But I knew I recognized that green flash.”

Ichabod looked at the book, curiously. “But, as I recall, the Yenaldooshi were known as skin-walkers, witches who wear coyote skins and travel at night.”

Edom looked up. “Yeah, I… may or may not have… made that slightly worse.”

Ichabod leaned toward Abbie, “And yet I am the criminal for disorganizing a library.”

“Yes, your point is made!” Edom growled. “Alright. I admit that I have brought some peril upon one of my oldest friends. Unfortunately, it isn’t the first time.”

“So, what is Gate is exactly?” Jenny asked.

“He’s a dire wolf but touched by ancient magic, making him a bit of an immortal himself. He stayed amongst the shadows for centuries, traveling the world as a virtuous hero. In one of my earliest treks across this world, I met him in northern Canada. Circa… 730 B.C. if my math is correct. It was before my current assignment during another mission. Gate is an amazing soldier. And I led this calamity upon him.” Edom exhaled, rubbed the back of his head, then whispered, “Just another failure to add to the list.”

Ichabod patted his shoulder. “Let’s fix this one.”

Edom smiled. “Yes. Let’s.” He looked back at the book, “Ah! Fortunately, this is a relatively easy fix.” He read on then jerked his head back. “Huh.”

“What ‘huh’?” Ray asked.

“She’s weak.”

“What makes you say that?”

“She should be on a tirade through Sleepy Hollow but… you found Gate asleep in the barn.” Edom looked at Ray, “And you said…”

“He was stumbling through the woods and smashed against some people’s property,” Ray explained.

Edom smiled. “He’s trying to fight back.”

“What about him trying to make us dinner?” Abbie asked.

Edom shook his head, “Bloodsky won’t give him up that easily. He’s fighting back but she won’t let him go and she probably realized that you two are Witnesses.”

“What quarrel does she have with us?” Ichabod asked.

“Witnesses. Chosen holy warriors, defenders of good. She tends to frown on that sort of thing.”

“She sounds lovely,” Jenny said.

“Indeed. Time to see if time has mellowed her at all. I will not leave my friend to her throes for a moment longer.” Edom began to walk around the Archives and gather supplies.

“Right.” Abbie looked at Jenny, “Go back to the hospital. Be with Joe.”

“And leave you to hunt down a demon-possessed dire wolf with an archangel?” Jenny asked.

“ _Witch_ possessed!” Edom corrected, still gathering materials.

Abbie motioned toward Ray, “We have him.”

Ray gave a small wave. “Hello.”

“Fear not, Jenny,” Ichabod said. “This seems to be a… rather routine outing by comparison to others we have undertaken.”

Jenny exhaled, “Okay, fine. But, as soon as Joe’s better, we’re helping again.”

“I swear,” Abbie agreed.

Edom walked back over, carrying a few candles and metal box then setting them on the table. “Here we are! This should all do very nicely in saving Gate!”

“Well, for such disorganization, you certainly seem able to find what you were looking for,” Ichabod remarked with smug grin.

Edom stared at him. “You know? There have only been a few people I have ever known to be as insufferable as you, Sir Crane! One of them was none other than…”

Ichabod stared at him. “Do not…”

“Franklin Delano Roosevelt,” Edom declared. “Always had to have his way and, somehow, seemed to be right, most of the time.”

Ichabod blinked, surprised. “Oh. Well. I imagine that…”

“And also, of course, Benjamin Franklin.”

Ichabod’s jaw tightened and walked away.

Edom looked at the others, “I knew that would get him.”

* * *

An hour later, Abbie, Ichabod, Edom, and Ray were in the forest a few miles from the barn where Gate was last seen.

“Okay, this is all really new to me,” Ray said, “so, run this by me, one more time.”

Edom set down six candles in a triangle formation. “Gate’s possession is particularly strong. Bloodsky put all of her life into possessing him, just to cost me, who was at the time, my only friend.”

“She must’ve really hated you,” Abbie said.

“More than you know.” Edom opened the box and handed Ichabod the book he needed previously. “Ichabod, if you will.”

“And what will this do?” Ichabod asked.

Edom opened the book to a page and pointed a certain passage. “Read this when I get Gate in the triangle.”

“Aaaaand how will you do that?” Abbie asked.

“Getting him to chase me.”

Ray raised his hand. “Yes, uh… what? I feel like I ask that a lot.”

“We should be asking that more,” Abbie said.

“What if he catches you?”

Edom shook his head, “He won’t.”

They were surprised by his confidence in his voice.

Edom chuckled. “Don’t worry. I just need to get him here. You two will do the rest.”

“And you know this’ll work because?” Abbie asked.

Edom shrugged. “You’re the Witnesses.” With that, he walked off into the forest.

Ray watched him walk away then looked at Abbie and Ichabod, “There’s a lot I don’t know… isn’t there?”

Ichabod looked at Ray then at Abbie then back at Ray. “Quoth Shakespeare: ‘There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.’”

Ray paused for a moment. “Actually… I’d dream quite a bit.”

Abbie looked at Ray, curiously. “Why?”

Ray took a deep breath, “Let’s just say, my grandfather had a lot of interesting stories and, more often than not, they turned out to have some real world truth to them.”

Ichabod stared at Ray, “Deputy Merck, I think we should converse sometime.”

“I’d be happy to.”

They heard howling in the forest.

“Showtime,” Abbie whispered.

A few minutes later, they saw Edom running at a speed much faster than any normal human could run, which threw them off for a moment before they remembered who Edom was. He ran right through the triangle with Gate following but, as soon as he stepped within the pattern, the wicks of the candles lit and barrier was formed. Gate collided into the barrier, causing Ichabod, Abbie, and Ray to jump back with Abbie staying close to Ichabod. Gate bounced off of the barrier, shook off the shock, then roared.

“I think now would be a good time to start reading, Crane!” Abbie said.

“Yes!” Ichabod opened the book back up and looked at the passage, “‘Thou who would plague the innocent, who would corrupt the just, and destroy the holy, be gone from this one and be expelled!’”

Gate shook his head and howled as the green glow from earlier came over his body. As the glow was becoming more solid, Edom rushed and grabbed Gate by his fur and removed him from the barrier. Gate collapsed unconscious on the ground as they all looked back at the barrier. A moment later the green light solidified into the form of a haggard woman with decaying skin and gangly hair who wore tattered animal pelts.

She was breathing hard and crawling on all fours within the barrier. She looked at Edom. “Curse you! Curse you! You damned holy warrior! Your kind are a menace!”

Edom walked over to her, “And you possessed an innocent beast. Murdered an entire tribe and God knows how many people.”

Bloodsky licked her lips then hissed, “Innocent blood… sates my appetite.” She pushed herself to her knees. “Their screams aroused me. Their deaths filled me with joy. And I used your beast to do it.”

“And for that along with the rest of your crimes, you will pay, dearly.” He stared at her, coldly, as his medallion emitted a light. “I should’ve done this a long time ago.” He held his hand out and a light shone from his hand and extended into a sword.

Ichabod and Abbie couldn’t but notice it was similar, though not identical, to the longsword Golan used weeks ago to kill the Hidden One and Pandora. Edom’s sword seemed longer and heavier; Ichabod recognized the design as being very similar to a Zweihänder.

“Good-bye, Bloodsky.” Edom ran the sword through her chest. Bloodsky started screaming as the energy she was composed on suddenly surged around her. Edom pulled his sword free of her as her power enveloped her, erupted, and rose into the sky. The energy soon faded into nothingness. They all looked at Edom in shock as he stood up straight.

“ _Nex Sacramentum_ ,” Edom said, coldly. “My oath is fulfilled. Burn in hell, witch.”

“That was… aggressive,” Ichabod said.

“Apologies.” Edom caused his sword to disappear in a flash of light. “I’ll give you the full details of that at a later date. Just trust and believe when I say that was long overdue.”

“I’m not even about to argue since she nearly made a dire wolf eat us,” Ray said.

Edom looked over at Gate. “Speaking of which…”

Edom went over to Gate and knelt beside him. Gate was lying on his stomach, breathing heavy, but shrunk down to the size of a normal dire wolf. He was still an intimidating beast, but he was much calmer than he was before.

Edom patted his head, “Gate. Do you remember me?”

Gate lifted his head up and licked Edom’s cheek, tiredly but enthusiastically.

Edom chuckled, “Hey, there you go! Good boy! Glad to see you, too.” He patted him on the head. “Glad to have you back.”

Ichabod, Abbie, and Ray stepped forward and stared at the sight of the beast that looked ready to devour them hours ago now calm and content.

Abbie exhaled. “Well, that was… something. Guess we can place this in the win column for Team Witness.”

“Team Witness?” Ray asked. “Do we get jackets?”

“We might as well.”

“I have so many questions about… _all_ of this, Sir Edom,” Ichabod said.

Edom looked up at him, “I don’t blame you. We will speak about all of them. Soon. For now, I do believe that is enough for one night. We should retire for the evening.”

“Actually, I gotta agree with the angel,” Abbie pointed out.

“As do I,” Ichabod agreed. “I believe we should all… call it a night. For if this is truly the beginning of more trouble, much rest will be required.”

* * *

**_Sleepy Hollow City Morgue._ **

Dr. Vivian Connors was examining the body of her latest resident as it laid on the table attached to the coolers. She stood over him, with her arms folded as she shook her head.

Her assistant, Jack Bendis, walked. “Dr. Connors?”

“Yes, Jack?” she asked, never looking up.

“It’s almost midnight. Shouldn’t you call it a night?”

“Probably.” She sighed and motioned toward the corpse. “Did you see this?”

He looked at the chart, “Richard Leeds. 24, shot to death on the street.”

“Look at the age. He’s fifteen years younger than me and this happened to him. So sad.”

“Tragic, doctor, but you need your rest.”

Connors exhaled. “I just can’t…”

“It’s okay, doctor,” Jack patted her on the back. “The police will find out why this happened.”

“Doesn’t make it right.”

“You need the rest. Mr. Leeds isn’t going anywhere.”

She nodded. “Yeah, you’re right.” She slid the body back into the cooler. They exited the operating room, turning out the lights as they left.

The minutes ticked by and soon a dark grey mist entered the operating room. It seeped into the cooler of Richard Leeds. The door began to shake, violently, before it exploded off of the hinges. A low moan came from the cooler and a hand grabbed the edge of the wall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Wow. The Game of Thrones references are certainly dated now. You know this had to be written before the final season. Ironic, isn’t it? I actually laughed when I was reading through it and saw those.  
> Anyway, I hope you guys are enjoying so far!


	5. Chapter 4: Dead Reckoning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A body is missing from the morgue. And attacking citizens of Sleepy Hollow. Abbie, Ichabod, and the others investigate. But is this event an prelude to something more?

**_One Week Later._ **

Abbie was in her office, working on some paperwork, when Sophie walked in and knocked on the door frame.

Abbie looked up at her, “Hey.”

“Hey,” Sophie exhaled. She looked her over. “You okay?”

“Gettin’ there. Come in, have a seat.” Sophie walked in the office and sat down. “What’s up?” Abbie asked as she continued working on her paperwork.

“Heard you had some Witness stuff the other night,” Sophie replied.

“Nothing new there.”

“I figured. You know if you need help…”

Abbie looked up and smiled at her, “Thanks, Sophie. I mean that. But we’re just… getting back into the swing of things right now.”

Sophie nodded. “That’s fair. But I’m still around. Whatever you need.”

“I appreciate that.” Abbie went back to her paperwork.

“Where’s Crane?”

“Meeting up with our new friend, one Edom Thane.”

Sophie’s eyes widened. “Edom Thane? _The_ Edom Thane?”

Abbie dropped the pen and stared at her, incredulously. “Does everyone know who this guy is but me?”

Sophie smirked, “Edom Thane is a relic hunter but a respected one.”

“Jenny didn’t know him.”

“She’s probably heard of him but never seen him. Only a few people have. He doesn’t run in the underground as much as we tend to. Don’t get me wrong, though; he knows all about it, and he’ll go down there when necessary but he’s a legend.”

Abbie leaned on the desk. “How much of one?”

“The Bureau has hired him on occasion to recover artifacts,” Sophie answered. “He goes where we can’t. We get things back and no one asks questions.”

“Hm,” Abbie mused. “Sounds like a… real angel in our midst.”

Sophie stared at her. “Okay. I caught that.”

“Caught what?” Abbie asked, innocently.

Sophie held her hand up. “I wanna keep my day normal for thirty more seconds. So, just…”

Abbie sat, patiently, as Sophie looked at the ceiling, checked her phone, then looked at wall.

Sophie exhaled. “Okay.” She looked at Abbie and took another deep breath. “What?!”

“Do you really want me to tell you?” Abbie asked.

“I’m gonna say yes. But don’t hold it against about how I react.”

“That’s fair.” Abbie’s office phone rang. “Hold that thought.” She answered, “Mills.” She was silent for a second, “Hey, Ray. What’s going on?” She started to look concerned. “Yeah. Yeah, okay, that’s weird. I’ll call Crane. Go to the Archives. He’ll meet you there. I’ll catch up when I can. Okay. Be careful out there.” She hung the phone up.

“Problem?” Sophie asked.

“A body missing from the morgue.”

“There is no way it’s that simple.”

“It left on its own.”

Sophie stared at her. “There’s no such thing as normal around you, is there?”

“Once,” Abbie answered. “I think it was a Sunday.”

* * *

Ichabod was waiting at the Archives when Edom arrived, smiling at Ichabod as entered the building.

Ichabod closed the book he was reading and inclined his head toward Edom, “Good day, Sir Edom.”

“Good day, Lord Crane,” Edom gave a slight bow.

“I fear that our time together will be short. The Leftenant has informed me that Raymond is on his way to request our aid.”

Edom sat down on the one of the stools. “Aiding others is one of my better attributes.”

“Indeed,” Ichabod replied. “I was reminiscing the days of when we first met.”

Edom smiled. “Which time?”

Ichabod shrugged, “I imagine the first time I remember. In a life long since passed.” A thoughtful look cam over him. “It was the home of Sir Concord. You had taken my horse and tied its reigns.”

“I remember.”

“But, it was when I departed that is forever a part of my mind.” Ichabod smirked. “You were speaking to my horse.”

Edom smiled. “He was exhausted from the journey. He just needed some encouragement. Besides, I’ve found some animals easier to converse with than people. They just listen. And all living things need to be comforted. Some more than others.”

Ichabod eyed him, curiously. “Personal experience?”

“More than I can convey.”

Ray walked into the Archives, “Afternoon, gents!”

“Ah, Raymond!” Ichabod greeted. “Always a pleasure.”

“Deputy, good day,” Edom said.

“Good to see you guys,” Ray walked toward them, “Did Abbie give you the details?”

“As much as you shared with her.”

“Well, it’s a weird one.” Ray paused. “But… that’s kind of expected, I guess. What, with the whole dire wolf thing.”

“What seems to be the problem?” Edom asked.

“It looks like we may have us a living corpse up and walking around. And you have no idea how hard it is to not make a _Night of the Living Dead_ reference right now.”

“Ah! George Romero! A classic of a filmmaker, if ever there was one!”

“Movie scared the life out of me as a kid! Who would think I’d be dealing with zombies in real life?”

Ichabod raised a finger, “Quoth the Leftenant, ‘welcome to the weirdness.’”

Ray chuckled. “Well, on the plus side, this zombie has been just attacking people, not eating their brains. I was on my way to the sight of the last attack. I would love it if you both could come along.”

“Ah, yes!” Edom said. “The game’s afoot! Tally ho!” He headed out of the door with Ray about to follow after.

“Erm, Raymond?” Ichabod asked.

Ray stopped, “Yeah?”

“Do I… sound like that?”

Ray stared at him, blankly. “I, uh… think that’s a question Abbie should answer.” He hurried out of the door.

Ichabod jerked his head back then, with an exhale, followed after them.

The trio arrived at a gas station where a man was sitting in ambulance, being treated for wounds to his face.

Ray pointed at the man, “That’s the victim. Curtis White. Apparently, our walking dead was walking passed the store and Mr. White was being rude to the store clerk. Our corpse, Richard Leeds, ran in and punched him, repeatedly.”

“Interesting,” Edom mused. He looked back and forth, “Allow me a moment.” He walked off, heading for the back of the store.

Ichabod looked back at Ray, “Are there any other details?”

“Leeds’s death was filed as a homicide.” Ray looked at the cashier’s counter, “We have a suspect that we’re questioning but, now, without a body, it’s hard to prove a murder.”

“Hm.”

Abbie pulled up in her SUV outside of the corner store. She got out to meet Ichabod and Ray inside. Once Abbie and Ichabod saw each other, small grins spread across their faces.

Ray looked up from examining the counter. “Oh! Hey, Abbie!”

Abbie looked at him, “Hey, Ray.”

“Didn’t think you’d make it this soon.”

“Danny took some mercy on me. He still wants me to take it easy for a while.”

“Wise of Agent Reynolds,” Ichabod said.

“I just think everyone has a habit of being overprotective,” Abbie noted.

“You were in the hospital for a month. Forgive us all for caring.” Ray smirked at her.

Abbie rolled her eyes while Ichabod wore a triumphant grin.

Ray looked toward the back room. “That security footage should be up now.”

They walked into a back room, Edom joining them just as the video was cued up, and watched a play back of the attack. Over an hour ago, Curtis White walked in complaining and yelling at the cashier about the gas machine not taking his credit card. He slammed his fist on the counter, frightening the girl at the cash register. A hooded figure walked past the door and, seeing White slam his fist down, rushed and began attacking White. During the assault, the hood fell back to reveal the face of Richard Leeds.

“That’s him,” Ray said.

“Looks alive to me,” Abbie said.

“He wasn’t a few days ago.”

Leeds punched White a few more times in the face before backing up and stumbling out of the corner store and across the street.

“What, I believe, is known as a… ‘curb stomp’,” Ichabod said.

“You just like saying that since you know what it means,” Abbie smirked.

He smiled back. “Well, I so rarely have a chance to use it in a situation that _isn’t_ referring directly to us.”

Abbie shook her head and looked back at the screen, “So, he gets in a few hits and takes off.”

“Third attack like that in a week,” Ray said. “And all of these attacks have been a little strange. He’s been seen jumping people who seem to be, I dunno, not acting like kind citizens. Nothing really illegal, though. Like, some kind of vigilante or something.”

“Sleepy Hollow’s Robin Hood.”

“More like Batman.”

“Except these are just direct attacks by a demon-possessed corpse,” Abbie surmised.

“And none of these attacks have been connected with Mr. Leeds’s murder?” Edom asked.

“None,” Ray answered.

“What were the conditions of his demise?”

“Shot to death two nights before we went looking for the wolf.”

“It seems that crime needs to be solved as well,” Edom pointed out.

“Well, first and foremost, we must find Mr. Leeds before he can harm anyone else,” Ichabod said.

“Solving a murder and stopping a supernatural creature,” Abbie said. “Didn’t know it was Thursday already.”

“Feels more like a Friday to me,” Edom declared. “Unfortunately, my brief walkabout yielded no fruit. I found no sign of Mr. Leeds in the immediate area and I couldn’t tell exactly where he came from.”

“Perhaps we should check the surrounding area,” Ichabod said. “Widen the area of the search.”

“We’re of the same mind, Ichabod! I suggest dividing and conquering.”

“I’m up for some dividing,” Ray said.

“We’ll take the direction that Leeds went,” Abbie said.

“I’ll see if I can backtrack his whereabouts,” Edom suggested.

Ray checked his watch, “I set up an interview with Leeds’s girlfriend later on. Hopefully, she can shed a little light on what happened to him before he died.”

“A keen mind you have, Deputy Merck,” Edom nodded.

“I do what I can. If anyone needs anything, give me a call.”

“Will do. Happy hunting. Happy hunting to us all.”

Ray nodded and headed out of the door.

Abbie, Ichabod, and Edom walked out of the surveillance room and back into the parking lot.

Edom looked up at the sky. “What a lovely day.” He looked toward his left, “Our Mr. Leeds came from that way. I’ll follow any trail I can as much as possible.”

“We’ll do the same,” Ichabod said.

“Be safe and God be with you.”

“With you, as well.”

Edom nodded and walked off.

Abbie looked at a department store across the street. “Think he could’ve gone in there?”

“A good as place to search as any,” Ichabod answered. They started making their trek across the street. “Do you still have any suspicions regarding our Mr. Thane?”

“Actually…” Abbie shook her head, “no. Rare but no.”

“He certainly seems to simply want to assist us.”

“That’s the reason I’m starting to trust him more. I don’t think he has any ulterior motives. He’s trustworthy and honest but, unlike everyone else we’ve run across, that’s a genuine feeling.”

“We have been deceived before,” Ichabod reminded. “That being said, I do believe this is one supernatural being with whom we can place our complete trust.”

“Rare moments,” Abbie noted. “We should enjoy that.”

“Yes. He seems to be quite the upstanding fellow.”

“He does.”

“Genuinely good, in fact. Honorable and of good moral fiber.”

She turned and eyed him with a certain curiosity, noting that he was close to repeating himself. “Crane?”

“Hm?” he asked.

“What’s on your mind?”

“Not a thing.”

“Uh-huh. Out with it.”

“Out with what?”

They were across the street at this point and Abbie stopped and folded her arms.

Ichabod paused with his hands behind his back and exhaled. “Well… just… it’s nothing. I just… with how your previous… possible… courtship with Agent Reynolds ended… I simply thought…”

Abbie rolled her eyes and held a hand up, “Stop before you say something that makes me want to hit you.”

“I am simply suggesting…”

“Crane. I have no interest in Edom aside from him helping us with our crazy Witness life. He’s a nice guy but also an angel from Heaven. Not exactly dating material.”

“Ah. Good to know.”

“What made you even come up with that, anyway?” she asked.

He considered that. Even he was entirely sure. “Merely observation. We so rarely come across someone so decent.”

“I can’t deny that, even with how he executed that witch.”

“Anger and rage. Even angels are subject to it.”

“Aren’t we all?” she asked. “Point is it ain’t gonna happen. He’s not my type.”

“Ah. I see.” He paused for a second. “And… out of pure curiosity, of course, what type is that?”

She stared at him. “Wow. That’s a really good question, isn’t it?”

“I think so. Is there an answer?”

She smiled at him and walked away.

“Leftenant? Is there?”

She kept walking, her smile growing bigger with every step.

“Abbie?” He followed after her.

They walked into the department store, intently searching for Leeds while causally walking through the store. Abbie caught sight of Leeds lurking around the back of the store, heading toward the stockroom. Abbie followed after him and followed as he moved around the back, Ichabod followed a second later. They came across Leeds cowering in the corner of the stockroom with his arms around his head. The Witnesses looked at each other, unsure, then back at him.

“Erm,” Ichabod cleared his throat. “Mr. Leeds?”

Leeds looked up. They could clearly see his blood red eyes and his waxy skin, though it had not quite decayed as much as it should have at this point.

“Sir? We wish to help you.”

Fear entered into Leeds’s eyes as he backed further against the wall. He tucked his head underneath his arms, protecting himself.

“No, no, Mr. Leeds, please,” Ichabod pleaded. “No need to fear. We only wish to help.”

“You sure about that?” Abbie whispered.

“Not now, Leftenant,” he whispered back. “Mr. Leeds?”

Leeds lifted his head up and stared at Ichabod. “Leeeeeds…” he hissed out.

Ichabod looked at Abbie. She reached her for her gun. He subtly shook his head.

“Leeeeeds.”

“Yes, that is your name,” Ichabod said. “Richard Leeds. Do you remember?”

Leeds looked around, confused as he tried to concentrate. “Richard. Leeds. I. Am. Richard. Leeds.”

“Yes, good. That’s very good. Do you know where you are?”

“Shot. Killed!” Leeds looked at Ichabod. “He killed me!”

Ichabod and Abbie looked at each other then back at him.

“Who?” Abbie asked. “Who killed you?”

“Hey!” a voice said behind them. Abbie and Ichabod turned to see a middle-aged security guard walking up to them. “What’s going on in here?”

Abbie took out her badge and raised it, “Sir, it’s alright. I’m Abigail Mills, FBI.”

“What are you doing here?”

“We are conversing with this man. He’s a witness of an attack that took place earlier today.”

“Well, that’s all well and good but what are all of you doing back _here_?” the guard asked.

Abbie took notice to the edge in the guard’s voice. “Sir. We are gonna get him outta here. We’re just trying to talk him down right now.”

“Look, I just want you all gone!”

Ichabod looked at Leeds and saw anger begin to radiate from his eyes.

“We’re working on that,” Abbie said, calmly. “If you just give us…”

“I don’t have to do anything!” the guard shouted. “Get out!”

Leeds roared and charged at the guard and tackled him to the ground. Leeds punched the guard in the face over and over again.

“ _Casus belli!_ ” Leeds shouted, “ _Casus belli!_ ”

Abbie drew her gun and aimed it at Leeds, “Get off of him! Right now!”

Stopping his assault, Leeds groaned and slowly turned around. They could see his eyes were much more feral than there were a moment ago. He roared and Abbie shot him in the shoulder, jerking him back and forcing him off of the security guard. Leeds stood up straight, narrowed his eyes then ran out of the side door. Ichabod and Abbie ran after him, only to find no sign of him once they were outside.

“When was the last time a demon didn’t attack us?” Abbie asked. “Especially after I shot at it?”

“I believe there is far more to this than meets the eye,” Ichabod admitted.

* * *

An hour later, Ichabod and Abbie met with Edom and Jenny back at the Archives, having explained what happened at the department store with Leeds.

“You guys found the one demon who doesn’t want to kill you,” Jenny said. “What the chances of that?”

“Astronomical in our lives,” Ichabod said.

Edom was reading a book, “Based on your description, I think I know what we’re dealing with.”

“That’s a refreshing change of pace,” Abbie said.

Edom set the book on the table. “It sounds like Leeds is possessed by one of the _lemures_ , an ancient Roman demon. They were the wronged dead who sought vengeance for what was done to them. Usually, they would come back in deal out justice against those who wronged them. _Casus belli_ is Latin, meaning ‘an act of war’ when loosely translated. It was the battle cry of the _lemures_. In Mr. Leeds’s case, he doesn’t know who wronged him. At the moment. If and when he recollects, he may go after the one responsible for his death.”

Abbie looked at Ichabod.

“Oh, dear,” Ichabod exhaled.

“You two left something out of the story,” Jenny said.

“What did you do?” Edom asked.

“Let’s say,” Abbie started, “just for argument’s sake, we helped him remember who he is.”

“This isn’t a question for argument’s sake, is it?” Jenny asked.

“What would happen?”

Edom groaned and rubbed his forehead. “He would seek revenge on the person who killed him and murder that person. The demon would strengthen him and, honestly, he may become as powerful as the Headless Horseman.”

Abbie scrambled for her phone. She hit Ray’s name. “Ray? We need to find out who killed Leeds.”

“ _I was just about to call you,_ ” Ray replied. “ _I spoke with Leeds’s girlfriend, nice girl named Ginny, and the last person who she knew saw him was his best friend, Reggie Sticks. He works at Carl’s Bar just outside of town. I’m on my way now._ ”

“We’re right behind you.” She hung up. “Let’s go.”

“I may be able to cast the demon out with my medallion,” Edom said. “But not in his enraged state.”

“What do we do?” Abbie asked.

“Talk to him.”

Abbie raised an eyebrow, “Excuse me.”

“These demons are taught rage is the only method to justice. Talk it down. Show him peace. Not revenge. When he is sufficiently calm, we exorcise the _lemure_.”

“Let us make haste then,” Ichabod said.

* * *

Abbie, Ichabod, Jenny, and Edom pulled up at Carl’s Bar and heard a commotion going on inside. They saw a crowd hurrying out of the bar, leading them to charge inside. They found Ray on the floor against a table while Leeds stood over a bleeding Reggie Sticks.

“Ray, you okay?!” Abbie asked.

“Yeah!” Ray started to sit up. “Not the first time I’ve been thrown to the ground.”

Leeds stared down at his victim, “ _Casus belli!_ ”

“Mr. Leeds, no!” Ichabod shouted.

Leeds looked up at him. “He killed me,” he said in a much more demonic tone than he had before. “I will have justice!”

Edom, quickly, raised his medallion and used its light to force Leeds off of Sticks. Leeds crashed into the bar while Sticks tried to run away.

Ray grabbed Sticks’ arm and threw him to the ground, “Get down!”

“Are you crazy?!” Sticks asked.

“At this point, maybe. Regardless, you’re under arrest.”

“For what?!”

“Murder of Richard Leeds.”

“He looks alive to me!” Sticks shouted.

“Really?” Ray looked at Leeds. “Hey, Richard! Reggie, here, says he didn’t do it.”

“HE LIES!” Leeds screamed.

Sticks screamed in horror.

“Thought so,” Ray said. He looked at Sticks. “Seems to me you’ve got two choices: either confess or we let him do what’s he gotta do.”

“You’re insane!”

“Not as much as I probably will be before all this is over.”

Sticks looked at Leeds as he started to get up. He shouted, “Alright, alright, alright!” He stared at Leeds. “I did it. I killed him.”

“Why?” Ray asked.

“Ginny. He had her. I deserved her. Not him.”

“As much I understand and wish to protect humanity,” Edom said, “there some things that humans do that I will, absolutely, never comprehend.”

“You’re not alone,” Jenny exhaled.

“Betrayed,” Leeds said. “Lies. Deceit. You killed me, threw away camaraderie, for what?”

Ichabod stepped forward, “But you have exposed him for the snake he is! You need not kill him!”

“He killed me! I will have my justice!”

“Is that true justice?”

“It is justice!” Leeds took a step forward.

Abbie aimed her gun at him.

Ichabod stood in front of Leeds, “You are angry! I understand anger. I understand rage.”

Leeds halted his advance.

“It’s painful. To die. To know fear. To hate. I know them all. That is what it means to be human.”

Leeds calmed down.

“I know even more what it’s like to be betrayed…” Ichabod paused. “…by the people you care for the most.”

Abbie kept her eyes and gun on Leeds, but she couldn’t help but hurt hearing Ichabod talk about this. The pain of his past; he kept it all to himself for a reason. It hurt him. She didn’t blame him. It hurt her to watch him go through all that.

“But it’s not always the case,” Ichabod continued.

Leeds leaned his head to the side.

“Sometimes… often, in fact… there is something that can make it all worthwhile. Every pain. Every hurt. But even if those things never come… you must learn forgiveness.”

Leeds growled.

“Not the easiest thing to accomplish, mind you, I’ll be the first to admit,” Ichabod declared. “But hurting others does not lessen your pain. As irony would serve, it only strengths your pain. Until…” His mind flashed to Abraham. “Until you don’t even recognize what you see in the mirror anymore.”

Leeds blinked at the recognition of that.

“Be at peace. Let go of the rage. Let go of the hate. It does nothing but turn you into a monster. It seems you were a good man in life. Be so in death.”

Leeds was breathing heavily. He looked at Sticks then back at Ichabod. He opened his mouth and struggled to groan, “For…give…ness.” He exhaled. “It…hurts.”

“I know,” Ichabod nodded. “But we must be stronger than the pain. Stronger than the rage. If we are not, we are no longer human.”

Leeds exhaled, “I am… I am… tired.”

Edom stepped forward, “Allow me to give you rest.” He held his medallion out.

Leeds looked at Ichabod, “Th…thank…you.”

Ichabod nodded.

A light shone around Leeds then let out one final gust of breath and his body collapsed as a grey mist rose into the ceiling and evaporated. A reverent silence fell over the group as they looked at the body of Richard Leeds.

Jenny exhaled, “Not even in my top ten of weirdest things I’ve ever seen.”

“It’s my number two, now.” Ray picked up Sticks placed handcuffs on him. “You’re under arrest, Mr. Sticks.”

Sticks shook his head, “Fine. Whatever. I don’t care.”

“Not a bad night’s work,” Edom said.

“Not at all,” Jenny agreed.

Ray was guiding Sticks outside followed by the others except Abbie, who stopped to see Ichabod standing over the body of Leeds, gazing at it intently.

“You okay, Crane?” Abbie asked.

Ichabod looked at her and nodded, “Yes, of course.” He looked back at the body.

“I know that was hard for you.”

“More than I intended it to be.”

“With all you’ve been through, you really keep all that inside.”

“Something, I believe, we both have learned,” he said. “We keep the personal problems to ourselves as much as possible.”

“Doesn’t always work out that way,” she said.

“Indeed. But such is life.”

They headed outside and saw Ray put Sticks in the back of his vehicle while Jenny and Edom were talking with each other.

Abbie observed the scene and, suddenly, felt very exhausted. She looked up at Ichabod, “You know what we need? Some off time.”

Ichabod looked at her, “In what regard?”

“Just a few hours where we don’t worry about the supernatural.”

“A fantastic idea. What did you have mind?”

“We did mention _Game of Thrones_.”

He smiled. “If that fool of a king Joffrey once and for all receives his comeuppance, then, yes. Let us, again, journey to the world of Westeros via a television screen.”

She smiled. “Is there any other way to get there?”

“By way of books and I pray those are the only two ways of getting there. I’d never like to chance a visit.”

“Tell me about it. I’d damn sure would never go to a wedding there.”

“A wise decision,” he agreed. “It sounds like a wonderful way to spend an evening.”

“I’ll make the popcorn.”

* * *

Later that night, Jenny was back at the hospital to check on Joe. She had just left his room when she found Edom approaching.

“Oh!” Jenny said, surprised. “Hey, Ed!”

Edom bowed, slightly, “Jennifer.” He paused and looked at her curiously. “‘Ed’?”

Jenny realized what she said and winced. “Sorry. Just slipped out.”

“No, no. I like it.” He looked at the room, “How’s Joe?”

“He’s doing good, fell back asleep. Should be out in the next couple of days.”

“That’s good.”

She looked him over. “Did you need something?”

“Actually, yes,” he answered. “I wanted to speak with you, if you have a moment.”

“Sure.”

He started to pace, “You, of all people, should know that all that’s transpired is just a foreshadow of things to come.”

“No kidding. But, why are you so sure?”

“Pandora’s Box contained more than I thought.” He exhaled, harshly. “I’m starting to think that she didn’t obtain these creatures all on her own.” He focused back. “I’ll be requesting the FBI to locate some items that were absconded from me some time ago.”

“Okay, but what do you need from me?” she asked.

“Your skills, Jennifer. I may need to begin tracking down supernatural objects and beings, and only those who know what to look for and how to look are needed. I’ll need your skills but I will not force anything on you.”

“If it helps Abbie and Crane, I’m in.” She smiled. “And, honestly, you’re growing on me, too.”

He chuckled. “Then I am fortunate indeed. Thank you, Jennifer.”

“Does all this worry you that much?”

Edom considered the best way to answer that. “The Pandora’s Box of Greek legend was said to contain all of the evils of the world. Well, Pandora of Sumer may not have captured all of the evils did but it seems she came closer than she should have. I feel that one of those evils is calling for aid, hence that _lemure_ demon possessed Leeds.”

Jennifer felt a chill go down her spine. “Someone’s calling, who’s answering?”

“That, my dear Jennifer, is the question. And it is the answer that gives me a dreaded pause.”

* * *

It was passed two in the morning and both Abbie and Ichabod had fallen asleep, watching more than just _Game of Thrones_ with the last movie they watched, _The Count of Monte Cristo_ , had already gone back to the DVD menu screen.

Abbie woke up and realized she was lying against Ichabod, her arm draped across him. What she found the most interesting was she found neither a reason nor the will to move. She simply closed her eyes and went back to sleep.

Ichabod’s eyes lazily opened for a moment and looked around, cautiously, out of habit. There were no demons, no apparitions, no cults, and no crazed witches after them. They were simply home. He closed his eyes and went back to sleep.

They were home. That was enough.

For the moment.


	6. Chapter 5: The Hunters & The Hunted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edom begins to track down old items of his, all the while getting to know his new friends. All the while, a new evil is beginning to creep into Sleepy Hollow...

The next couple of weeks came with small demon activity, but nothing that caused too much trouble. Edom and Jenny kept themselves busy with tracking down random relics of the past as Edom was looking for some personal possessions of his. Joe had finally recovered and was released from the hospital and helped them as well. This night, Jenny and Joe came across a demon they remembered quite well: the Abyzou.

The Abyzou, commonly known as the tooth fairy demon, ran through the forest as fast as it could. Jenny and Joe were running it down as hard as they could but weren’t getting close enough to it.

“I forgot how fast this damn thing is,” Jenny said.

“It’s like a contortionist on speed,” Joe huffed out.

The Abyzou ran just past a tree when Gate crashed into it with a headbutt. As the Abyzou tried to regain its bearings, Edom tackled it into the ground. He wrestled with the demon while Jenny and Joe caught up.

“Oh, my fair Jennifer!” Edom shouted as he struggled, “If you would be a dear and be so kind as to SHOOT THIS ABOMINATION!” He rolled over to where the Abyzou was on top of him.

Using a revolver given to her by Edom, Jenny aimed and fired, hitting it square in the back. The Abyzou hissed and Edom pulled a dagger and rammed it into the Abyzou’s chest. It groaned then its head drooped as it died.

Edom exhaled and tossed its corpse from on top of him. “Accursed creature of evil.”

“So…” Joe exhaled, getting his breath back. “…I almost forgot what all this feels like.”

“The thrill of the chase?” Edom asked.

“I was talking about the insanity.”

Edom chuckled.

“Getting a little tedious handling small demons and ones we’ve faced before,” Jenny said.

“Agreed,” Edom nodded. Gate wandered over to Edom and he petted his head. “However, this is proof that something is calling to them.”

“Like the Hidden One?” Joe asked.

“Similarly. But who is summoning them and to what end is what makes me curious.”

“Well, soldiers are usually gathered for one reason: war.”

Edom looked around, “Actually, Sir Joe, there is one more reason soldiers are called.”

“What’s that?” Jenny asked.

“To defend a position.”

* * *

With Jenny and the others doing most of the heavy lifting for now, Ichabod and Abbie found themselves with a lot of free time on their hands. They weren’t used to it. They were at the Archives waiting for their friends to get back. Abbie watched Ichabod go about organizing the place.

“Ed got to you, didn’t he?” Abbie asked.

“No,” Ichabod replied.

“Yes.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“He did not,” Ichabod insisted. “I am simply… reorganizing.”

“Uh-huh,” Abbie said, as she smiled knowingly. “And why?”

“Because I can curate this Archive just fine, Leftenant. I do not need the aid of an arrogant, though respectable, angel.”

Abbie laughed. They looked as the tunnel entrance to the Archives opened and Jenny, Joe, and Edom walked through.

“To which, I turned to Cedrick and said,” Edom stated, “‘Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana.’”

Jenny and Joe laughed at that.

Edom smiled. “Yes, Cedrick would humor me at that awful joke, as well.”

“How’d everything go?” Abbie asked.

Jenny shrugged, “In a sentence I’d never thought I’d say for a lot of reasons, it was just a minor demon event. Weird dealing with an Abyzou again.”

“Do you still believe something looms over the horizon, Sir Edom?” Ichabod asked.

Edom sat down and interlocked his fingers, “More so than ever.”

“Any idea on what that might be?” Abbie asked.

“Still no. I can still sense demons moving in the general area of Sleepy Hollow. Only the bravest or hungriest are actually coming toward the town. Gate is helping monitor the situation in the meantime.”

“How is he, by the way?”

“Doing well, thank you for asking,” Edom replied. “He simply sleeps when he’s not hunting. Which is a lot.”

“The sleeping or the hunting?” Ichabod asked.

“Both. At any rate, the number of demons wandering nearby gives me the sense we have an enemy who is cunning, even for a demon. They are keeping their location hidden but want the demons close. I’ll need a way to track the demon or, at the very least, ascertain its identity.”

“Do you have one?” Abbie asked.

“Jennifer’s been helping me look into that very matter. As soon as I have located a few items, we can find who is calling out to these demons. But that can wait.” Edom stood up, “I believe rest is paramount for the rest of the evening. So, I shall say good night and pleasant dreams to you all.” He looked around and stared at one of the shelves. He put on a smug smirk and headed for the door, “You missed a book, Ichabod.” He exited via the tunnels.

Ichabod looked at the shelves. He looked back at the tunnel exit then huffed. Abbie and Jenny had to bite back all of the laughter.

“So, _that’s_ what it looks like when it happens to you!” Joe said to Ichabod.

Ichabod stared at him, “Oh, how we have missed you, Joe.”

* * *

The following morning, at the Bureau office, Abbie sat next to Sophie as Danny called a meeting with a few agents.

“Do you know what this is about?” Abbie asked Sophie.

“Not a clue,” Sophie answered.

Danny walked in, “Good morning.” He was met with various greetings. “We have a new assignment that falls into the specialty realm of Agents Foster and Mills.”

“What’s the problem?” Sophie asked.

“We have intelligence that a group of thieves known as the Scathe are in possession of rare antiques and artifacts. They may be heading to Sleepy Hollow soon and we need to recover what they’ve stolen and bring them in.”

“Who’s the intelligence on this?”

“Glad you asked.” Danny motioned toward the door.

Edom walked in, with a smile on his face, and Abbie had to force herself to not laugh or give a look of recognition.

“Everyone,” Danny said, “this is Edom Thane.”

Edom gave them a bow of respect, “Always a pleasure to be in the company of the FBI.” He threw a knowing smirk at Abbie.

Abbie, subtly, shook her head.

“I’m sure most of you have heard rumors and stories about Mr. Thane,” Danny said. “He’s the bureau’s secret weapon on this kind of thing.”

“You make a grand idea of me, Agent Reynolds,” Edom waved him off. “I am merely a lover of art from time periods long since passed. When such items are disturbed by those who would use them for nothing more than profit, I take great offense. And it’s always a pleasure to be in the presence of such honorable champions of justice.” He passed a quick glance at Abbie.

“Well, we’d love to help.” Danny motioned toward Abbie and Sophie, “Agent Foster and Agents Mills will be your go-to people on this investigation.”

Edom smiled at them, “Splendid! I am honored to work with you both!”

For the remainder of the meeting, Danny went into details for everyone about tracking down Scathe’s whereabouts and giving everyone’s assignments. Afterward, Edom and Abbie went to her office.

“How did you do that?” Abbie asked.

“I am very talented, Abigail,” Edom replied.

She rolled her eyes. She felt her phone vibrate. She pulled it out of her pocket and smiled when saw a text from Ichabod.

“Good news?”

She shook her head, “Just a text from Crane.”

He jerked his head back, “Ichabod Crane knows how to text? Truly, Armageddon may be upon us.” Despite his surprise, he didn’t miss her smile at the fact that she just received a text message from Crane.

“Wouldn’t be the first time.” She looked back up at Edom, “But he does pretty well. He’d surprise you.”

“I imagine he would.”

She paused. “Hey, this is really awkward but I need to ask you something.”

“By all means,” he replied.

“Do you think you could talk to him?”

“Absolutely. About anything specific?”

“He’s under the impression that you’re interested in me,” she informed.

He narrowed his eyes, “Interested in…” He blinked in recognition, “ _Oh!_ Oh, dear! Oh, my! Abigail, I’m sorry. Did I say anything to offend or…”

“No, no. You didn’t do anything. He just… got it in his head that you do or I would find you… I don’t know.”

He thought about that. “Huh. I wonder why.”

Abbie shrugged, “Maybe because you’re so friendly.”

Edom shrugged in return, “I try to be friendly with everyone. More or less.”

Abbie searched for the best way to explain. “Well… it’s… we don’t meet many people in our lives from the supernatural side who are trustworthy. Hell, we don’t meet many people on _any_ side who are trustworthy. Human, angel, demon… whatever.”

“A sad but true problem that I can understand.”

She exhaled. “Anyway, about Crane… I don’t know where he got that idea from.”

He considered that. “Perhaps there’s another problem he’s dealing with.”

“And it’s something that he won’t tell me?”

“I’m not sure. Men are complicated creatures. Women, too.” He stopped. “You know? Humans, in general, are just plain strange.”

“It’s so hard to hear that from you since you look human.”

He shrugged and smiled. “A burned I must bear.”

Sophie knocked on the door as she entered, “Hey!”

Abbie smiled at her, “Hey. Come on in.”

Sophie walked in, closing the door behind her, and stared at Edom, “Wow, Mr. Thane. It’s an honor.”

Smiling, Edom got to his feet, “Agent Foster, the honor is mine.” He extended his hand to her and Sophie shook it. “Abigail has told me nothing but good things.”

“She’s told me some interesting things about you.”

“I imagined she would.” They both sat down. “I look forward to working together.”

“Same here.” Sophie exhaled, “So… what’s our next move?”

“I simply need to know where Scathe may be moving to,” Edom said. “Once they are found, we will make our preparations.”

“Sounds simple enough.”

Edom smiled. “For starters.” He checked his watch. “I must depart.” He stood up, “I have the last of my boxes arriving at my home today.”

“We’ll call when we have something,” Abbie said.

“Of course.” Edom looked at Sophie and gave a slight bow, “Agent Foster.”

Sophie nodded, “Mr. Thane.”

Edom smirked and left.

Sophie looked back at Abbie, “You weren’t kidding. They’re too much alike!”

“Wait until you hear them argue,” Abbie replied.

“Please, tell me it’s better than I think it is.”

“It really is.”

* * *

A couple of hours later, Edom was in his house on 417 Carver Street, still getting it all organized when Ichabod knocked on the front door.

“Come in!” Edom called out.

Ichabod walked in and observed the house was nicely furnished, containing all of the amenities of the modern world. He found Edom in the dining room with boxes of books. “Quite the plethora of electronics for an angel.”

Edom chuckled. “To operate in this world, Ichabod, one needs them. And I must catch reruns of my favorite shows: _Frasier_ , _The Golden Girls_ , _The Jeffersons_. Oh!” He exhaled, ruefully. “Sherman Hemsley. A good man. I miss him.”

Ichabod smiled. “You said that you wished to speak with me.”

“Yes.” Edom took a break from organizing his books. “What is this I hear about your questions about feelings you suspect I have for one Abigail Mills?”

Ichabod froze in place. He couldn’t come up with anything to say to talk his way out of this; he knew he was caught. “She… told you.”

“Yes. I want to know where you even got that notion from.”

Ichabod’s fingers began to twitch. “It was nothing provided by either of you. But you both seem to have a decent rapport…”

“She’s an amazing woman with a good soul. I tend to respect that kind of thing. Nothing more. I’m trying to figure out what led you to such a ridiculous idea in the first place.”

Ichabod shifted as embarrassment washed over him. “It was merely a thought.”

Edom chuckled and shook his head. “Well, put your mind at ease, Ichabod,” he continued putting items away. “While I do find all of you to be fine, upstanding individuals, I have no interest in such pursuits. Not in this case. More to the point, I have no desire to come between you and the Lady Mills.”

Ichabod exhaled. “Thank you. I appreciate…” He stopped. “‘Come between’?”

“Yes.”

“Pray tell, what do you mean?”

Edom looked up. “What do you mean ‘what do you mean’?”

“Come between what?” Ichabod asked.

“The two of you.”

“Oh! I doubt merely showing any affection for her would damage our friendship. And, as this is not the case, no harm has been done.”

Edom stared at Ichabod, curiously. “‘Friendship’. You think I mean your ‘friendship’.”

“Of course. What else could you be referring to?”

Edom set the books aside and clasped his hands together. “Please. Tell me this is no jest. Tell me you, honestly, have no idea what we’re _actually_ discussing.”

“You have confounded me, my friend,” Ichabod declared.

Edom stared in silence then slowly smiled then started laughing. It was a good hearty laugh.

“I fail to see what is so comical!” Ichabod shouted.

“That makes it funnier!” Edom laughed harder.

“Edom!”

Edom slowed his laughter down and stared at Ichabod. “You really can’t see it. Can you?” He narrowed his eyes. “No. You see it. You won’t allow yourself to admit you see it.”

“I fail to…”

“No. No, Ichabod.” Edom leaned forward on the table. “You have feelings for Abigail. Strong feelings.”

“That’s hardly an appropriate manner for you to comment on.”

“I’m an angel who’s killed humans, my own kin, and wields guns. ‘Appropriate’ for me left some time ago.” Edom looked Ichabod over. “You love her.”

Ichabod looked away and held his silence. He hadn’t even said it out loud to himself. To hear it from someone else was, not only embarrassing, but also caught him off guard.

“There’s nothing wrong with that.”

Ichabod looked back at him, “And, even if you are right, which I will not admit to, what shall I do? Act upon this… inappropriate and inconvenient emotion?” He sighed. “As I have almost done so many times.”

“First, I must wonder what about it even begins to approach ‘inappropriate and inconvenient.’ Second, you don’t have to admit to anything. I have eyes and ears, I can easily see how you feel for her. And, third, it’s no mere emotion. I get emotional over chocolate cake. There is so much more with your feelings toward Abigail. That much is evident in just how you look at her and don’t think that I haven’t noticed.”

Ichabod looked away again.

“Why do you find it so wrong?”

Ichabod exhaled. “I have… not had the best of experiences with this sort of thing as you well know. I have loved and lost. Very badly.”

Edom paused, getting lost in thought. “We all have.” He looked back at Ichabod. “Abigail, included. Everyone has lost someone they loved, despite the definition of the love.”

“Agreed.”

“But that doesn’t mean that prevents yourself from feeling it again. Especially when it is as strong as it is this time around. I can feel it between the two of you. This time is different. Your love for her is different.”

“How?”

Edom shrugged. “I just feel it. As for the exact reason, that’s not for me to say. That, you must sort out yourself.” He picked up the box and was about to head for his basement but stopped. “A word of advice, Ichabod.”

Ichabod stared at him.

“Waiting is good. Patience is a virtue. But there comes a time when bravery and taking the leap means you claim all that’s coming to you.”

“And what do you believe is coming to me?” Ichabod asked.

“Happiness. After all you’ve been through, all you _both_ have been through, and with all that still lies ahead, I do believe that you’ve earned some.”

* * *

Two nights later, Sophie came to the Archives, meeting with Abbie, Ichabod, Jenny, Joe, Edom, and Ray.

“I have information about Scathe,” Sophie started. “Apparently, they have a truck coming in tonight with a lot of merchandise moving in.”

“Why are they moving it here?” Abbie asked.

“Still working on that.”

“You got a list of what they’re bringing in?” Jenny asked.

“Yeah.” Sophie handed her a list.

Jenny read over it. “This looks like most of what you mentioned, Ed.”

“Then this may be the shipment we were looking for,” Edom said. “What time are they arriving?”

“Around 11 tonight,” Sophie answered.

“I can have a squad ready there and ready to go at a moment’s notice,” Ray said.

“Perhaps wait on that,” Edom said.

“Why?” Abbie asked.

“I have a feeling that our friends in Scathe may think they are not being watched or the items they hold aren’t of value.”

“The true nature of these items may not be known to them,” Ichabod said, understanding.

“Many objects of a powerful, supernatural nature are not always recognized for the true power they possess, leading to minimal security,” Edom explained.

“So, no need to charge in the troops?” Abbie asked.

“Not at the moment.”

Abbie nodded. “Then… how about this?” She looked at Sophie and Ray, “You guys keep eyes on the warehouse while all of us go in and secure the payload?”

Edom smiled. “Splendid strategy!”

“As always, impressive thinking, Leftenant,” Ichabod smiled.

Smirking, Abbie shrugged, “Just using some old school and new.”

“They come no older than myself,” Edom said. “Ichabod comes close.”

Ichabod narrowed his eyes at him while everyone else in the room had to suppress their laughter again.

“So, then! Let’s begin!”

* * *

Just after 11:30 that night, Abbie, Ichabod, Jenny, Joe, and Edom were at a warehouse in the industrial district of Sleepy Hollow. They found a group of fifteen men unloading an eighteen-wheeler with crates and various packages. The Witnesses and their allies were ducked behind crates and watched as the truck was still being unloaded.

“Hmph!” Edom grunted.

“‘Hmph’?” Jenny asked. “What does ‘hmph’ mean?”

“Just… the very idea of common smugglers in possession of these items. Frankly, I’m surprised none of my enemies have these treasures. They are quite valuable.”

“Is that a good or a bad thing?” Abbie asked.

“Both, in its own way,” Eom answered.

“That’s helpful. Hey, so, I forgot to ask: I know you have pull with the Bureau but are you sure you can keep any of this stuff?”

Edom shrugged, “Reasonably. Most all of it belongs to me.” He slowly moved from behind the crates and, calmly, walked toward the truck.

“It belongs to him,” Abbie said. “I’m going to pick a day where I stop being surprised.”

“I doubt today is that day,” Ichabod said. They followed after him.

Once they were close, Edom looked at them all as they hid in various spots. Abbie nodded at him and Edom nodded back. Edom walked up to one of the smugglers and placed him in chokehold, covering his mouth until he passed out. Jenny rushed up and hit another on the back of his head with her pistol, knocking him out. They made their way inside the warehouse.

One of the guards turned and saw them. “What the hell?!” he shouted before he aimed his gun at them.

Edom charged in, jumped against the wall with one foot, pushed off, and kicked the man across the face. After seeing the man unconscious, he saw more of the smugglers moving into various cover positions. He groaned, quietly, and drew his pistol. “So much for stealth.”

Abbie had her gun drawn and shouted, “FBI! Freeze!”

That was all it took for bullets to begin flying across the warehouse, sending nearly all parties ducking for cover. Edom, however, ran in, past the bullets, and started attacking the thieves left and right. Abbie, Ichabod, Jenny, and Joe moved around the warehouse and started taking down some of the goons they went along.

Ichabod came around another corner where one of the smugglers cornered him with a gun.

Ichabod stared at the gun, wide-eyed. “Oh, dear…”

The smuggler started to squeeze the trigger.

“CRANE!” Abbie ran with all she had and tackled him to the ground, both of them just getting out of the way of bullet before it hit either of them.

Jenny shot the smugger, hitting him in the arm which caused him to drop the gun. She threw herself into the smuggler and smashed his head against a crate, knocking him out.

Abbie landed on top Ichabod and they both looked to see they were in the clear. They looked back at each other and became ensnared staring into each other’s eyes.

“There, er…” Ichabod said, cleared his throat. “There has to be a day where I save your life.”

Abbie smiled. “Not likely.”

Edom tossed the last thief into a nearby wall, rending him unconscious. Ichabod and Abbie saw Edom’s victory, and, aside from breathing like he was on a light jog, he was fine.

“Wow,” Abbie said. “Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan wish they had those skills.” She and Ichabod got to their feet.

Edom looked at her, “Who do think instructed me?”

They called in Sophie and Ray to start tie up the smugglers and inspect their treasures. They spent the next half hour going through the crates as Edom was examining each intently. It wasn’t a lot of crates but they contained some objects that were older than the American colonies and others as recent as World War II.

Edom just finished searching the last crate when he put his hands on his hips. “It’s not here.”

“What’s not?” Jenny asked.

“My journal. I had hoped it would be in this same shipment of items. I lost a good number of the goods here during the time of the Revolution. I was holding to the hope that it would be amongst the pilfered goods.”

“What’d it look like?” Joe asked. “The journal.”

“Made of leather dyed blue with an iron buckle on it. It looked common but the difference is that it can’t be burned, ripped, or destroyed.”

“Some kind of angel blessing on it?” Abbie asked.

Edom smiled. “Precisely.”

Abbie looked at Ichabod, “Okay, maybe that _can_ be irritating.”

“To use the turn of phrase, told you so,” Ichabod said.

“Anything else about the journal?” Joe asked.

“It had a cross on the front and a scripture engraved on the bottom. Jude 24 and 25: ‘Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.’”

“Personal favorite?” Abbie asked, smiling.

“Personal mantra,” Edom admitted. “Aside from my many, many failures, I still have to hold on to faith. Most days, it’s all I have.”

“I’ve seen that before,” Ichabod said, absentmindedly.

Edom looked at Ichabod, perplexed. “Say again?”

“The journal. _Your_ journal. Washington. He… handed it to me and said that it was part of my mission to deliver it.”

“How’d he get it?” Jenny asked.

“He said that he acquired it under the most extraordinary of circumstances,” Ichabod replied.

Edom laughed. “I don’t doubt it. Good ol’ George! Do you remember where you took it?”

“Of course. To the home of Sir Irving Book.”

Edom laughed again, “Those scoundrels! They kept it safe for me!”

“Do you remember where he used to live?” Jenny asked Ichabod.

“Of course,” Ichabod answered.

“Okay, we know where it might be,” Abbie said. “Do you wanna get it now?”

Edom looked around. “I believe we’ve had enough excitement to last us for a night. The Bureau will need help organizing this mess from what’s mine, what I’ll allow them to keep, what I won’t put up a fight for, and what wasn’t mine to begin with. Now that I know where the journal is, we can retrieve it tomorrow.” He looked through the window of the warehouse, “What a lovely evening.”

* * *

Miles north of Sleepy Hollow, a horde of demons slowly gathered at an old abandoned house. They entered the house from every direction with a female voice beckoning them.

“Yes,” she whispered, “come to me.”

She listened to demons as they spoke to her.

“Yes, I know. We have an angel amongst us. And he is with the Witnesses of this time.”

She listened further.

“Yes. Yes, I agree. They all must die before the Summoning. But I yet may have use for the Witnesses. I shall unleash the Bound One. I need the Witnesses brought to me. But the angel… must die.”


	7. Chapter 6: Ties That Bind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ichabod and Jenny accompany Edom to find his journal and the group encounters a new demon. Ichabod also has a talk with Jenny about his feelings for Abbie. Followed by an interesting encounter between Abbie and Ichabod.

Walking through her crypt in a regal blue robe, Desdemona walked toward a large coffin with a smile on her face. “Oh, it has been some time since you were imprisoned. Even before the Revolution. All because of a lowly angel who thinks himself a hero.”

The coffin started to shake.

Desdemona raised her hand and slipped a tangible darkness into it. “You will be my weapon. My arms. Find the angel and kill him. Bring me the Witnesses.”

* * *

The following morning, Ichabod was up to get ready for the day. It was decided last night he and Edom would go and retrieve his journal. He went to the bathroom and cleaned himself up, getting ready for the day. Once he walked out, he saw Abbie just about to enter. They stopped and stared at each other, awkwardly.

“Uh… good morning,” Ichabod declared.

“Morning,” Abbie replied. “Ready to take on the day?”

“Quite often. Yourself?”

“Always.”

The exchange didn’t reduce the awkwardness at all, both knowing they needed to talk but not saying anything either. Abbie saving Ichabod last night reinforced their need to have a discussion about their relationship; for Ichabod, especially, after the conversation he had with Edom.

“I guess I should head on out,” Abbie said. “Edom’s coming to pick you up, right?”

“Yes,” Ichabod answered. “We, uh… have a bit scavenging to do to retrieve his journal.”

“Have fun with that. Wish I could go with you.”

“Your company will be sorely missed.”

“Doubt I could add more help than an actual angel.”

Ichabod smiled. “Well, you’re an angel of your own variety.”

Abbie smiled back. “Look at you. Being sweet.”

“I can show appreciation.” He had an idea. “In fact, I will cook you breakfast.”

“That can be hit or miss with you, ya know.”

“It’s that infernal electric stove. It is the most infuriating device I…” He stopped himself. “That aside, I do believe my skills have vastly improved.”

She shook her head. “Well… I guess I don’t have to leave real soon.”

“Splendid! I will make ready.” He hurried past her toward the kitchen.

Abbie watched him head downstairs and couldn’t stop the smile on her face from growing.

Minutes later, they were eating breakfast with each other. Ichabod fixed her scrambled eggs, bacon, and even managed to make French toast without any incidents. They carried on basic conversation as they had the past couple of weeks. It felt nice, surprisingly normal, comfortable, and, above all else, right. After they finished eating, Ichabod began to clear their plates.

“Not bad, I’ll give it you,” Abbie said. “My compliments to the chef.”

Ichabod smiled as he washed the dishes off in the sink. “The chef thanks you for your kind regards.”

She stared at him while he finished cleaning up and her mind went to the close calls they had just months ago with the Hidden One and a lot talks that they had come close to having ever since. Ichabod nearly getting shot last night also put her on a bit of an edge. She knew how she usually felt when getting to close to someone but she couldn’t feel herself running from this. Whatever was stirring in her for Crane, she liked it and she wanted more of it.

He turned and caught her gaze, causing her to look off and continue drinking her coffee.

He smiled at her, “I… imagine you should prepare for your day. Sir Edom should be here any moment.”

“Right.” Abbie stood up and walked toward him. “You just be careful, okay?”

“Oh, I doubt this venture will prove too dangerous,” Ichabod replied. “We’re merely retrieving a book.”

On impulse, Abbie took Ichabod’s hand.

He looked at her, surprised.

“Still, just…” She exhaled. “…just be careful, okay?” She shrugged, “For me?”

He nodded. “I swear it. For you.”

On another impulse, she hugged him. He was caught off-guard, but the feeling of her arms around him, quickly, replaced any feelings of awkwardness. He hugged her back and Abbie let a calm sigh escape from her. They released the hug and looked at each other.

“That was… unexpected,” Ichabod said.

“I know,” Abbie replied. “But we should do it more often.”

“Any reason?”

She smiled. “Several. Is that okay with you?”

“More so than I can express.”

A knock came to the door.

She nudged her head toward the door. “I better get that.”

“Oh, yes, of course.” He completely removed his arms from her, which took a lot more willpower than he expected.

Abbie walked to the door and opened it, finding Edom on the doorstep.

“Bright, good morning to all!” Edom said.

Abbie smiled at him, “Hey, Ed! Come on in.”

“Thank you. How do you fair this glorious morning, Abigail?”

“Doing pretty good.”

“Splendid!” Edom looked over at Ichabod, “Good morning, Lord Crane!”

“Good morning, Lord Edom,” Ichabod replied, inclining his head.

Edom looked back and forth between the Witnesses. “I didn’t interrupt anything, did I?”

Abbie looked up, suddenly, with her eyes wide. “Uh, n-no. We were both just… getting ready for the day.”

Edom smirked, knowingly, “Ah. I see. And, what, pray tell, do you both hope the day may bring?”

Abbie and Ichabod, simultaneously, began to move awkwardly.

“Well, I do believe that we had best be off, Edom,” Ichabod said.

“Yeah,” Abbie said, “I-I-I need to get ready for work.” She walked over to Ichabod. They were about to hug but stopped. They decided to shake hands but stopped again.

“H-have a blessed day, Leftenant,” Ichabod stuttered out.

“Yeah,” Abbie smiled. “Um. You, too.” She hurried upstairs.

Edom smiled. “You know? I honestly didn’t think it was possible for her to be embarrassed or awkward. Huh. Seems I’m proven wrong.”

“Uh, yes!” Ichabod said. “Shall we?”

“You being awkward and embarrassed I’ve grown accustomed to.” Edom smiled. He headed for the door, “Come along, Crane!”

Ichabod rolled his eyes as he followed Edom out of the door.

Abbie went to her room, closed the door, and pressed her back against the door. She couldn’t believe what just happened. Did she just feel embarrassed? She shook her head. She and Ichabod needed to have this out before she went crazy.

* * *

Edom and Ichabod got in the car and Jenny leaned forward and looked at Ichabod.

“Morning, Crane,” she greeted with a smile.

Ichabod looked at her, “Jenny! This is a pleasant surprise. What brings you along?”

“I’ve been helping Edom track down all this stuff in the first place.” Jenny shrugged, “Only makes sense I come along.”

“Her help has been indispensable!” Edom started the SUV and began to drive. “I can’t imagine doing this without her assistance.”

Ichabod smiled. “The Mills women are nothing but a blessing in any venture.”

“I can definitely say ‘amen’ to that.”

Jenny sat up straighter and smiled brighter, “I like this.”

Edom drove to the outskirts of town, and, after driving off of the road and parking in the woods, they trekked a few miles into the woods until they came across an old abandoned colonial mansion; time had decayed it thoroughly and it was barely standing. For Ichabod and Edom, it brought back many memories of days long since passed.

“I am oft amazed that places such as this have not been discovered over the centuries,” Ichabod said.

“Off the beaten path,” Edom replied. “A lot of old houses exist this way, if one knows where to look.”

They entered the house and searched it, not finding much of anything on the first floor. To be thorough, Edom walked outside and scouted around. After finding nothing, the trio walked upstairs; while Edom checked the other rooms, Ichabod and Jenny looked in another room with the former investigating a ransacked bookshelf. There were a few intact books still on the shelf and the tattered remains of others, mostly destroyed by fire and time.

“Hmph!” Ichabod scoffed. “Some people have no respect at all. To leave these troves behind to be destroyed is unforgivable.”

Jenny smiled. “To be fair, the whole house has gone to hell.”

“Indeed.” Ichabod looked down and found a small pendant lying on the ground, covered by broken pieces of burnt wood. He moved the wood out of the way, picked up the pendant, and examined it. It was cut from a piece of solid bone, about two inches in length and a half-inch in width, with a symbol carved on it and tied to an old piece of leather. Ichabod recognized it and scoffed. “Well, this is quite the surprise.”

“What’s that?” Jenny walked over.

Edom walked back in, grumbling, “Nothing.” He looked at Ichabod and Jenny and saw they were looking at something Ichabod holding in his hand. “What’s that you’ve got there, Ichabod?”

Ichabod stood up and presented it to him. “A keepsake. Of an old friend.”

Edom walked over and took the necklace and smiled. “That’s the Okodee Mmowere symbol of the Oyoko clan, one of the nine Akan clans located in Ghana. It was their clan emblem representing strength and bravery.”

“Yes. It represents the eagle, what they called the mightiest bird in the sky. One of the…” Ichabod stopped himself “…attendants here kept it as a keepsake from his homeland.”

“You can say the word ‘slave,’ Crane,” Jenny said. “We know history.”

“It doesn’t make it right.”

“Just the fact that you know that shows some progress.”

“Hardly enough to me.”

“Agreed,” Edom said.

“At any rate,” Ichabod exhaled, “the owner of the pendant was a… slave named Fredrick. He said that it was his father’s. He earned it for bravery for saving a young boy from drowning.”

“What’s it doing here?” Jenny asked.

“Well, Sir Book did aid many former slaves in escaping through the Underground Railroad. Fredrick must’ve left it behind. Shame. He was a brave man, himself. Quite worthy of this precious keepsake.”

Edom smiled and handed it back to Ichabod, “Hm. I believe fate meant for you to find it. Possibly even wear it.”

Ichabod shook his head, “Not me, no. I’m hardly worthy of the legacy of those who worn it since then.”

“Well, I’m not taking it. I’m not worthy of such a legacy, either.”

“I don’t wear a lot of jewelry,” Jenny added.

Ichabod thought for a second then inspiration hit him. “I… may have thought of someone who is.” He pocketed the pendant.

“Splendid! You’ll certainly find more use for it than the house will. Now, then, let’s find that book!” Edom headed out of the room.

Ichabod was about to follow Edom out when Jenny tapped him on the shoulder. He turned to face her and found she had a smug look on her face.

“You’re not slick,” Jenny said.

Ichabod looked at her, confused.

“You wanna give that to Abbie, don’t you?”

Ichabod jerked his head back, “Well, of course. She exhibits all of the qualities worthy of one who would wear…”

“Crane. You don’t have to defend yourself, alright? It’s okay. I know.”

“You know?”

“How you feel about my sister,” Jenny declared.

Ichabod didn’t respond right away.

“You want me to say it? Fine. I’ll say it. You’re in love with her.”

Ichabod took a deep breath. She was the second person to say it before even he had said it, out loud. And, knowing Jenny, she probably knew it long before Edom did. This was starting to become disconcerting. “And how do you know this?” he asked.

“Because I have eyes and ears and been around you both for the past couple of years,” Jenny surmised. “And any idiot who remotely pays attention to either of you for any amount of time sees something’s there.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah, it is.”

“What do you advise?” Ichabod asked.

“Tell her,” Jenny replied.

“Do you believe that is wise?”

“Honestly, yeah. And it’s good for both of you.”

“Both of us?”

“Yes.” Jenny took a deep breath. “I’m protective of Abbie and, as much as I tease her, I don’t think a lot of men deserve her.”

“No one does,” Ichabod agreed.

She smiled. “Except you.”

Ichabod was taken aback.

“You deserve her. And, you know what? She deserves you. You challenge her, you push her, you make her better. More to the point, you make her smile. You make her happy, Crane. Happier than she’s ever been. You have for a long time.”

“She’s made me happy for longer than I can remember.”

“I noticed. So, why are you two taking so long with this?”

He shook his head, “There never seems to be an appropriate time to discuss our emotions and heart for one another.”

“Screw appropriate, just do it,” she declared.

“You’re as eloquent as ever.”

“Yeah, well get over it. Brother-in-law.”

Ichabod’s eyes went wide as his posture stiffened. “Perhaps a bit premature on that, are we?”

Jenny shrugged. “Maybe, maybe not. But there’s so much I would give for the sight of watching you dance to something like the Electric Slide at a wedding.”

He smiled, “Jenny. Thank you.”

“For what?”

“One of the biggest obstacles, I feared, was how you would react. If you were not supportive of this, I would not attempt it.”

“Because of me? Why?”

“Because I will not be a wedge between you and the Leftenant,” Ichabod explained. “You have had more than enough of those in your life. I will not be another.”

Jenny stared at him, indignantly. “You can be stupid for a genius, sometimes.”

“Pardon?”

“Crane, did it ever occur to you that the whole reason me and Abbie reconnected, in the first place, was because you came into our lives?”

“I try not to give myself so much credit,” he said.

“A little won’t hurt here,” she retorted. “Look, I don’t know why all three of our lives went to hell. Well, I mean, I get the whole ‘grand scheme’ idea, now, but the reason things kinda went better is because you came along. And you can’t tell me your life didn’t get better because of Abbie.”

“It most certainly did. In every way.”

“Save one.”

He stared at her.

“I won’t tell you to rush it,” she said. “But I will tell you ‘stop worrying’. It’s not gonna go wrong.”

“How can you be so certain?”

“Because I know Abbie. And I know you. And I know how you both are with each other. And, being afraid won’t help anything.”

“In this, we very much agree,” Ichabod said.

Jenny nudged her head toward the door, “Come on, let’s go find Ed.”

They headed downstairs and saw Edom with an intense look on his face.

“Edom?” Ichabod asked.

“Something caught my attention,” Edom kept looking around.

“And that is?” Jenny asked.

Edom kept looking until he heard it again: a small whistle of wind. He smiled. “That.” He walked over to a staircase and moved a piece of wall out of the way from the stair alcove, leading to a small ladder going underneath the house.

“Interesting,” Ichabod said.

“Come, my friends!” They proceeded down and found a low level basement. It was almost a crawl space as not even Jenny could stand at her full height underneath it.

“Not enough room in here to change your mind,” Jenny mused.

“Perfect place to hide it,” Edom replied. They came to a small treasure chest. They all kneeled down around the chest, Edom broke the lock, opened it, and found his book on the inside. “There it is!” He picked it up and ran his hand across the cover. “Long time no see, old friend.”

“Good to bring friends back together,” Jenny joked.

“The catchphrase for your cell phone company, Jennifer?” Edom smiled.

“Could be.”

Edom chuckled. “We have what we came for. Let’s go.”

They made their way back to the house and walked back outside when Edom, suddenly, stopped. He looked around, intently.

“Edom?” Ichabod asked.

“What’s going on?” Jenny asked.

Edom looked around, focusing his gaze toward the forest. “We are not alone.”

Slowly, out of the trees, came a large creature with decaying skin of various hues that appeared to be sewn together. This was the same beast unleashed by Desdemona to hunt down the angel and the Witnesses, known simply as the Bound One.

Edom stared at it; the demon looked familiar, but he was having a hard time placing where.

“So much for this being a peaceful venture,” Ichabod said.

The Bound One roared.

“Ichabod, Jennifer, run!” Edom shouted.

Edom charged at the monster, who was already running toward them at top speed. They collided into each other but the Bound One tossed Edom up into the air. Edom landed with a grunt and rushed to get back to his feet. He was met with a backfist from the monster that sent him flying a few feet. Edom groaned for a moment then looked up see the Bound One standing over him. The demon raised its fists but was stunned when a bullet tore through his chest from behind. It turned to see Jenny was the culprit. It roared and charged at her and Ichabod, but Edom got up and jumped on the demon’s neck. Edom climbed up the Bound One, as best he could, and started punching it in the face. The Bound One grabbed Edom and toss him away.

The Bound One looked at Ichabod and growled.

“GO, CRANE! GO!” Jenny kept shooting at the Bound One, stunning it as she hit him in the chest. They both ran for the car with the Bound One stalking close after them.

Edom summoned his sword from his medallion and sliced the demon’s arm off. The Bound One roared, Edom got in front of the demon, and ran his sword through its chest. The demon howled and sank down to a knee, bowing its head. Edom exhaled, removed his sword, and bent over to catch his breath.

Suddenly, the Bound One opened its eyes and began to rise to its feet.

Edom looked at it, wide-eyed. “Father in Heaven!” he breathed out.

The Bound One roared and hit Edom with his remaining arm, sending him flying across the field. The Bound One roared in pain and rushed off into the forest, clutching at the wound where his arm was severed.

Edom groaned as he pushed himself up.

“Edom!” Ichabod shouted, as he and Jenny ran to him and helped him up. “Are you alright?”

Edom nodded his head, “Yes, yes. I’ll be fine. It’s not the first time I’ve been tossed about.”

Ichabod looked at the forest. “What was that?”

Edom growled, “I’m not sure. But it did look familiar.”

“Where’d it come from?” Jenny asked. “And why was it after us?”

“Answers, I don’t have. Yet. But we need to get them. And locate that abomination.”

* * *

A few of hours later, Edom, Ichabod, and Jenny were back at the Archives, meeting with Joe and Ray. They had tried searching for the demon but had no luck in finding it. As Edom searched through his own journals and various other books, the others were talking by the large table.

“So, _what_ attacked you guys, again?” Ray asked.

“It doesn’t make any more sense describing it again,” Jenny said. “Look: it was an eight-foot-tall demon with dead skin and now he’s missing an arm.”

Ray stared at her, blank-faced. “Right.” He rubbed his face, “I can’t believe this is still my life.”

“Whatever it is, we must find a way to destroy that melded madness of malice,” Edom said as closed a book.

Jenny looked at Edom, incredulously, “Really, Ed?”

Edom smirked and picked up another book. “I thought it was clever.” He went back to reading.

“So, should I put out an APB or just keep my eyes open?” Ray asked.

“Eyes open,” Jenny, Joe, and Ichabod said at the same time.

Ray rolled his eyes and groaned. “This is so complicated!”

The door to the Archives opened and Abbie walked in. She, hastily, walked straight up to Ichabod, “What did we talk about _just_ before you walked out the door _this morning_?”

Ichabod paused for a moment then cleared his throat. “I believe the subject was being careful.”

“And being jumped by a giant demon is being careful to you?”

Ichabod knew better than to argue. “I can see your confusion.”

Edom growled, “No good! Unless I know exactly what that monster is, I have no idea how to stop it!”

“You don’t have any clue at all?” Jenny asked.

“A clue, yes. Several. But I need a definite identification. I would have one if I could find it. Or, at the very least, track where it came from.” Edom threw another book on to the pile he created. He grabbed a jewel from a nearby box and turned to the group, “Jennifer, Joe, if you would please, accompany me. We shall track where the monster came from.”

“When are we going to help again?” Abbie asked, motioning to herself and Ichabod.

“When you’re both back to 100%.”

“We did help you guys on a raid, you know.”

“Which I was uncomfortable with the entire time.” Edom brought a few more books out, “You and Ichabod, however, can pick up where I left off in my research.”

Abbie smirked, “Our specialty.”

“And the rest of us get to go hunt down a giant monster?” Ray sighed then, sarcastically, said, “Yaaaaay.”

“You wanted in,” Jenny reminded.

“And I wonder about that all the time,” Ray said.

“You merely keep your eyes open for that beast,” Edom said. “And you call us if and when you see it, Raymond. It’s not something for you to handle on your own.”

“Oh, trust me! I have no problem with that.”

“Splendid!” Edom headed for the door, “To quote Shakespeare, ‘the game’s afoot; follow your spirit; and upon this charge, cry: God for Harry, England, and Saint George!’”

“I kinda like it when he does that,” Jenny smiled as she, Joe, and Ray followed after them.

“You know, it’s growing on me,” Joe added.

“He just reminds me of all the times I didn’t pay attention in speech class in high school,” Ray said. They all exited.

Ichabod and Abbie looked at each other and laughed.

“It seems we acquired quite the odd little family,” Ichabod said.

Abbie shrugged, “I don’t mind.” She sighed and started grabbing books, “Guess we better get to work.”

“Indeed. Finding a monster that matches the abomination we saw should be a simple task.”

“Depends on how many monsters are like it,” she noted.

“A frightening idea to imagine there are more than one of them out there,” he replied.

“Seriously.” She set one book at the big table, sat down, and started reading. “At least, you found his journal.”

“Indeed.” He grabbed another book and sat down.

“Too bad the rest of the trip was a bust, huh?”

Ichabod perked up at that and placed his hand in his pocket, touching the pendant. He looked at Abbie. “Actually… our outing proved quite fruitful in more ways than one.”

“How?” Abbie asked.

He pulled the Okodee Mmowere pendant out of his pocket. He found a new leather strap for it earlier in the day to replace the worn one.

She stared at the pendant. “Wow. Crane, that looks like an antique. A valuable one.”

“It’s from the Oyoko Clan,” Ichabod explained. “It’s the Okodee Mmowere symbol. An old acquaintance of mine, Fredrick, once wore it. He received it from the bravest individuals of his tribe, his father to name one. He was just as brave.”

“Quite a story behind that. Shouldn’t you put that in a museum or something?”

“It was a possible outcome. But, instead, I’ve found a much better use for it.”

“What’s that?” Abbie asked.

He held it out in front of her. “I’m giving it to you.”

She looked at him, surprised. “What? Why?”

“Because… you are strong, Leftenant. Stronger than most. Perhaps, stronger than us all.”

Abbie shook her head. “We’re both strong.”

“But only one of us charged into the 18th century to stop my crazed ex-wife and into Pandora’s Box to stop another demented witch.”

“You _lived_ through the 18th Century and you would’ve charged in if you had the chance. I’m just quicker than you.”

“In more ways than one,” he agreed. “Which, to further my point, is why you should wear this.”

Abbie stared at the necklace then back at Ichabod. “Crane…”

“Please, Abbie. It’s a matter of honor. Yours.”

“What do you mean?”

“You are… remarkable, Abbie. You have been from the start. I don’t think I’ve always appreciated how much. I hope… this will begin to demonstrate my affection…” His eyes went wide.

She looked up at him, not knowing how to react to that.

He started to move, awkwardly, avoiding looking her in the eyes. “Er, uh… appreciation… for who you are, what you do… and… who you are… to me.”

She smiled. She was touched. His words had that effect on her, with that effect seemingly magnified lately. “If that’s the reason… then I accept.”

He held the pendent up. “May I?”

She nodded. She turned around and moved her hair out of the way. Ichabod, unintentionally, caught her scent and tried to not to give in or stare at incomparably smooth skin. He tied it to her neck, letting his hands drift across her skin. Abbie almost let out an audible sound of pleasure as his hands on her felt better than expected.

Before he did anything he might or might not regret, Ichabod removed his hands and took a step back.

Abbie turned and faced him, smiling. She touched the pendant. “What do you think?”

Ichabod stared at her, “I think… it’s belonged to you the entire time.”

She smiled at him. “Thank you.”

“My pleasure.”

Abbie took a breath and remembered that they had research to get on. “Shall we get to work?”

“We shall.”

* * *

The Bound One moved through the forest and came to a clearing where Desdemona came to it again and she used her magic to assemble him a new arm. The demons whispered a report of the encounter with Edom.

She nodded, “Yes. I saw. The angel has become very strong. He is determined. What has brought this about? Hmm. Regardless, I must have the Witnesses. Both of them. Bring them to me.”

The Bound One grunted.

“Alive. I need them alive.” She seeped more magic into the demon, “And, should you fall, be sure to do so in their presence.” She smiled. “I will have them. The Call has begun and I must be ready.”


	8. Chapter 7: The Bound One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Witness learns more about the Bound One. And Edom learns of Golan's presence is Sleepy Hollow. Meanwhile, Jenny pulls Abbie aside to have a heart-to-heart talk about the latter and Ichabod. Later, the confrontation with the Bound One takes a dangerous turn...

Edom, Joe, and Jennifer came to an empty field on the outskirts of town. They looked down into a freshly dug pit and Edom fished the crystal he retrieved from the Archives out of his pocket.

“This the place?” Joe asked.

Edom held the crystal in front of him and it started to glow. “Yep,” he pocketed the crystal. He bent down and grabbed a handful of dirt.

“Okay, so what is this thing?” Jenny asked.

Edom studied the dirt then placed his other hand on his medallion. His eyes started to glow.

“Whoa,” Joe exhaled and took a step back.

“What’s with you?” Jenny asked Joe.

“Have you seen him do that before?”

“No.”

“And you’re not freaked out?” Joe asked.

“He’s an angel,” Jenny replied. “The list of things he can’t do would probably surprise me first.”

Edom stopped the glow. He growled, “I was afraid of this. It’s the Bound One.”

“What’s the Bound One?” Jenny asked.

“The simple answer?” Edom stared down at the pit then pulled a plastic bag from his pocket and put the dirt inside and tied the bag at the top, “Trouble. Very big, very dangerous trouble.”

“I really don’t wanna ask this but what the hel…” Joe stopped and stared at Edom. “…heck? Who dug it up?”

“That, Joe, is an excellent question. I feel a very familiar presence here.” Edom looked at the dirt, “I think I know who summoned it but let’s get back to the Archives. I can confirm it there.”

* * *

After arriving at the Archives, the trio saw Ichabod and Abbie studying, intently, in the books Edom pulled out.

“I’m so used to that sight,” Jenny said.

“Any luck?” Abbie asked.

“Some, yes,” Edom replied. He walked to another table and placed the bag of dirt on the table. “There are powers at work here. Dark forces.” He retrieved his journal. “I need to know who is behind them.”

“Is whatever this is behind all the demons showing up in Sleepy Hollow?”

“Joe asked the same question and the same answer applies: I’m still researching.”

“What of the demon who attacked us?” Ichabod asked.

Edom looked up, “Oh! Yes!” He set his journal down. “The Bound One.” He walked over to the table, grabbed one of the books, and started flipping through it. “It’s a composite demon formed from various body parts; not all of them human, mind you. Eureka!” He pointed at a page in the book, “Here!” He set the book down for all to see. “Here is our quarry! The Bound One.”

Jenny looked at the image of the demon. “Yep! That’s the freak.”

“It’s effective. Strong body parts but the outer shell seems human. For appearances’ sake.”

“He’s eight-feet tall.”

“I never said it was a good appearance,” Edom defended. “He’s made out of whatever is possible to make it stronger; human, animal, even dead demon remains.”

Ichabod smirked. “Lions and tigers and bears! Oh my!”

Abbie stared at him, silently.

Ichabod put his hands behind his back. “I thought it was clever.”

Abbie rolled her eyes then looked at the page, “‘And this demon shall be called the Bound One. It will do thy bidding. It will obey thy word. Call on its evil. Call on its malice. Call on its power. For it lives to destroy. It lives to kill.’”

“A monster bred to do the bidding of others,” Ichabod said.

“Not the first time we’ve seen something like that,” Jenny said.

“Kinda sounds like the Kindred,” Abbie said.

Edom shuddered. “Please! Don’t mention that creature! It’s very existence was questionable, at best.”

Abbie and Ichabod looked at other, nervously.

“Who would even think to raise an abomination such as that unholy plague is beyond me…” Edom noticed their nervousness, “Oh, dear Lord, you two did it, didn’t you?”

“Indeed,” Ichabod answered.

“Twice,” Abbie said, avoiding his gaze.

“ _Twice?!_ ” Edom shouted.

“It… wanted a girlfriend?”

Edom stared at them, incredulously, then rubbed his forehead. “Why do the demons even bother? Two hundred more years, give or take, and mankind will WIPE ITSELF OUT!”

“That’s why you’re here.” Abbie smiled.

“Don’t remind me or patronize me, Abigail Mills!” Edom took a deep breath and calmed down.

“The Bound One, the Hidden One,” Jenny counted with her fingers. “Ancient beings had a theme going.”

“A theme of being lazy,” Abbie said.

“There does seem to be a lack of imagination in their titles,” Ichabod added.

“In some cases, that’s done on purpose,” Edom explained. “When it comes to the Bound One, its name is the most accurate description of what it is. It’s a fusion of bound, vengeful spirits and body parts in one collective.”

“And the Hidden One?” Abbie asked.

“Three reasons he has that name. One, his actual name is ridiculously long. Two, his state of being locked away is referenced in the name and removing his name is the ultimate shame. And, three, no one liked him at all. What better way to degrade a god than deny him his very name?”

“Doesn’t make him much of a god,” Jenny realized.

“You see the logic, then?” Edom asked.

“Logic proven correct,” Ichabod added. “He is dead.”

“So, the Bound One. Is it like Frankenstein?”

Edom groaned. “Frankenstein was the _creator_ , not the _monster!_ Does anyone know that besides me?!”

“You took that, kind of, personally,” Jenny said.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry! But we just kept telling Shelley over and over again she should name the book _Frankenstein_ and she and other friends kept saying _The Modern Prometheus_. She finally used both titles but I just hate that, in the end, she was right!”

The whole group stopped at the same time and stared at Edom, blankly.

“You knew…” Abbie began, “…Mary Shelley?”

“We were friends,” Edom stated. “Very good friends.”

“Did you inspire any of those writings?” Ichabod asked.

“As much as I would love to take credit, no. Her mind just worked like that. Impressive to watch her brainstorm. Just like dear, sweet Edgar. Oh!” Edom sat back. “How I miss them. Good friends, both of them.”

“Edgar?” Jenny asked. “As in… Allan Poe?”

“The master of _The Raven_ himself, yes.”

“Please, tell me you had nothing to do with him.”

“Not a thing,” Edom replied. “He just has a penchant for being strange.”

Abbie looked at him, curiously. “‘Has’? Poe died. Didn’t he?”

Edom looked at her and smiled. “Oh. Yes. Of course.” He chuckled, softly.

“Okay, that’s the creepiest you’ve been so far,” Jenny said.

Edom chuckled again. “I’m sorry. Sorry.”

“So Edgar Allen Poe is still alive?” Abbie asked.

“Perhaps you’ll meet him someday. But to the matter at hand: the Bound One and who summoned him.”

“And how do we figure that out?” Joe asked.

“Leave that to me,” Edom walked back to the table with journal and the dirt from the pit. “I hope to discern that in mere moments.”

“We can continue to research the Bound One itself,” Ichabod said.

Jenny nodded. “You do that, Crane. Abbie, can I talk to you for a minute?”

Abbie looked at Jenny, confused. “Now?”

“Yes. Now.”

Abbie shrugged, “Okay.” She and Jenny walked into the underground tunnel.

“What’s that all about?” Joe asked.

“When it concerns the Mills women,” Ichabod said, “who can guess?”

* * *

Jenny and Abbie moved far enough away from the door where Jenny was sure no one could hear them.

“Okay,” Abbie said, “what’s so important?”

Jenny paced for a moment then stopped. “I keep waiting for a good time to bring this up, but, since it doesn’t look like we’re gonna get one of those any time soon, we need to talk about this now.”

“And that would be?”

“You and Crane.”

Abbie looked at Jenny in silence for a few seconds. “What about me and Crane?”

“You and him ask practically the same damn question,” Jenny mused.

Abbie leaned her head to the side.

“Abbie. You. And. Crane.”

Abbie already knew what this was about. She put her hands on her hips, looked away, and exhaled. She started pacing as she didn’t really want to discuss this with Jenny, especially since she hadn’t discussed with Ichabod.

“Abbie,” Jenny said, bring Abbie out of her own mind.

Abbie stopped and huffed.

“Are you in love with Crane?”

Abbie closed her eyes and shook her head. “Damn it to hell, yeah.” She looked at Jenny, “Yeah. I’m in love with him.”

Jenny smiled.

“Have you told him anything?”

“Yeah-huh.”

Abbie’s eyes went wide. “What did you say?”

“Well, nothing that he probably didn’t say by already giving you that.” Jenny pointed to the pendant.

Abbie touched it. “It’s just a gift.”

“Do you think anything he does for you can count as ‘just’ anything?”

Abbie thought about that. She exhaled. “So, you don’t think I’m crazy.”

“No, Abbie,” Jenny declared. “Not in the least. You’ve been through hell. Through those darkest times, it was Crane who got you through. It’s been Crane from the start. He got you out of Purgatory, the Catacombs, and God only knows how much else. And you’ve done the same for him.”

Abbie nodded, “You’re right.”

“As soon as you get a chance, promise you’ll talk to him?”

“I promise.”

“ _Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti!_ ” Edom shouted in fury.

Abbie and Jenny looked at each other and hurried back into the Archives.

Edom was pacing, “I cannot believe that that despicable woman even captured _her_!” He growled. “Father in Heaven, what and who else did Pandora put in that infernal box?!”

“You don’t know?” Jenny asked.

“Well, I don’t know everything,” Edom said, incredulously. “I’m an angel, not a prophet or a mystic.”

Ichabod raised an insightful finger, “There are schools of thought that would suggest angels…”

“Do not mock me, Ichabod Crane! I am _not_ the subject of science fiction.”

“You’d be more fantasy,” Abbie pointed out.

Edom stared at her, blankly. He then rolled his eyes and shook his head, “Humans. You can be so curt when you want to be.”

“You like saying that, don’t you?” Joe asked.

“Saying what?”

“Humans.”

Edom shrugged. “I see no reason not to. It’s accurate.”

“Okay, what got you so mad?” Abbie asked.

Edom placed his journal on the big table. “Desdemona. The Night Queen. She summoned the Bound One. It was buried in Sleepy Hollow. She was buried in Pandora’s Box.” He scoffed. “The Bound One has become slaved to Desdemona’s power.”

“Who is she?”

“Desdemona was once a human who turned herself into a _jikininki_.” Edom took a notice of their blank faces. “It’s a Japanese demon. More accurately a _jikininki_ is a human-eating ghost. She used her status to declare herself the Night Queen or Night Mistress, whichever is preferred by her in the moment.”

“That title makes her sound like a prostitute,” Joe said.

Edom laughed. “I’ve made that joke against her several times.”

“Has she been the one summoning the other demons, then?”

“More than likely. She’s probably in some hole somewhere.” Edom chuckled, “Oooh! I can hardly wait to drive her out. Her reckoning is well at hand.” He turned around and walked toward the other table, still holding his journal.

Abbie exhaled, “And for a second, there, I thought you were gonna find out that the Bound One worked Golan.”

Edom stopped, abruptly, dropping his journal. He looked up, slowly, and, quietly, whispered, “Golan.”

They all noticed his change in tone and, after he turned around, they saw how the color drained from Edom’s face.

“What do you know of him?”

Abbie looked at the others then back at Edom. “He… was the one who killed the Hidden One and Pandora.”

Edom’s eyes widened in an instant, “HE WAS IN SLEEPY HOLLOW?!”

“Yeah.”

“We… we thought you knew,” Ichabod said. “That’s why you came.”

Edom pressed his hands to his head, “No. No, I came because of the Box’s destruction. I-I didn’t know who caused it.” He took a step back and started pacing. He looked and turned around, “Wait, he left all of you alive?”

“Surprised us, too,” Jenny said.

Edom ran his hands over his face. “What did he say? Did he say anything?”

“He said that Pandora and the Hidden One failed to keep a promise they made,” Ichabod said. “To his leader, I believe.”

“Migron,” Edom growled. He took a deep breath that sounded closer to a low roar and exhaled, “So. _That_ was their game. Suddenly, the past few centuries are starting to make sense.”

“How do you know them?” Jenny asked.

“One war at a time, Jennifer,” Edom said. He shook his head. “They will have to come later. For now, the Bound One and Desdemona need to be dealt with.” He picked up his journal, walked over to a desk, and rubbed his forehead.

“Something’s up,” Abbie whispered to the group.

“I can’t but agree,” Ichabod said. “But he’s right. We have current matters to attend to.”

“So, what about the Bound One?”

Edom turned around, attempting to regain his composure, “Yes. We have to track it. Then Desdemona.”

“How do we track either of them?” Joe asked.

“Now that I know who summoned the Bound One, it should be relatively simple.”

Just then, Abbie’s cell phone rang.

“Then again, we should’ve just waited for Ray to call,” Jenny said.

Abbie answered, “Hello?”

“ _Abbie, it’s me,_ ” Ray said.

“What’s going on, Ray?”

“ _A silent alarm went off at a delivery warehouse. I’m on the scene right now and well… you guys might wanna get down here. I only say that due to the semi-truck size hole in the wall minus the semi-truck._ ”

“Where are you?” Abbie asked.

“ _On Collins Road near Seacroft,_ ” Ray answered.

“We’re on our way. Watch your back. In fact, don’t go inside until we get there.”

“ _No problem._ ”

Abbie ended the call. “We need to move.”

“Indeed,” Ichabod agreed.

Edom grabbed another box and opened it up. He pulled out a vial and bottles and quickly went to work mixing them. He was more focused than any of them had seen him before, and the scariest aspect of all was he wasn’t speaking; no jokes, no small talk, just fierceness in his eyes.

“Ed?” Jenny asked.

“Yes?” Edom replied.

“You okay?”

Edom stopped and looked at Jenny. “Just… disturbed, is all. I promise my head is in the game.”

Jenny stared into his eyes. She nodded, “I believe you.”

Edom looked at Joe.

Joe stared at him for a while. “Me, too.”

“That’s good enough for me,” Abbie said.

“Agreed,” Ichabod said.

Edom nodded then sighed. “I do apologize for my change in attitude. You have my word you will get the full truth and soon.”

Ichabod placed a hand on Edom’s shoulder. “You have come into our lives and shouldered more than a few burdens. When you’re ready, we shall do the same.”

“Couldn’t have said it better,” Abbie said.

Edom smiled. “Thank you.” He took a deep breath. “Alright! Uh, this is a, uh, special concoction that should undo the magic that holds the Bound One together. Ideally, it needs to be inserted into him.”

“By him swallowing it or bullets?” Jenny asked.

“Take your pick. Whatever we need to do to destroy that monstrosity.”

“You know you’re not doing this without us,” Abbie said, motioning toward herself and Ichabod.

“Quite the reverse. We’ll need all hands on deck for this.” Edom filled eight glass orbs. He handed one to each of them and took hold of the rest, placing the remaining orbs in a leather knapsack.

“Time to go to work?” Jenny asked.

“Yes!” Edom put on one of his signature smiles. “Come, my friends. The game is afoot.”

“Follow your spirit,” Joe smiled.

Edom looked at him, surprised.

“And on this charge cry, God for Harry, England, and Saint George,” Jenny smiled.

Edom took a deep breath. “There is hope for the human race yet. Shall we?”

“Let’s get this party started,” Joe said.

Edom lead them all out of the door and Ichabod was about to follow.

“Crane,” Abbie said, causing him to stop.

Ichabod turned back to her and asked, “Yes?”

She took a quick breath and walked up to him. “After this is done, and I mean literally as soon as this with the Bound One is done, we need to finish that conversation we started weeks ago.” She touched the pendant. “The one we started to have at the hospital before Danny walked in.”

He shifted, awkwardly, remembering his almost-confession perfectly. “Ah! Yes! Well… of course, we may have a talk. However, it isn’t imperative. We will do so in due course, I’m sure.”

“I’m sure. And, it _is_ imperative. Probably should’ve been talk we had long before now.” She walked past him, heading outside.

“Long before now.” He took a breath. “Perhaps, we should have.”

* * *

The group arrived at the warehouse where Ray was standing just outside of the large hole made by the Bound One.

Ray smiled as they all walked up, “I can’t say how happy I am to see you guys.”

“What’s going on, Ray?” Abbie asked.

“I heard something roar inside. I radioed the station and let them know that I was on the scene and Agent Mills was assisting me. You know? Trying to keep them safe. Meanwhile, I’m growing very worried about me and my mindset here.”

“Stay used to that feeling. Have you seen it?”

“A giant, sewn-together corpse?” Ray asked. “Nope! Haven’t looked. Stayed here, like you told me to.”

“Can’t blame you,” Abbie said.

“Well, we shall accomplish nothing standing out here,” Ichabod said. He looked at Edom and presented the way forward, “After you, Lord Edom.”

Edom stared at Ichabod, slightly irritated. “How courteous of you, Lord Crane. That is to say nothing of your bravery.” He proceeded inside while Abbie threw an incredulous look at Ichabod who just shrugged, feigning innocence, as they all followed after Edom.

Edom looked around and his eyes began glowing again. His eyes traced all around but found nothing. “Curse it all.”

“What’s wrong?” Jenny asked.

“Desdemona. She’s either been here or still is. She’s blocking my sight.”

“Divide and conqueror?” Abbie asked.

“Please, no,” Ray said. “I don’t want to be eaten.”

“Don’t be so dramatic, Raymond,” Edom said. “More than anything, the Bound One will break your spine before it eats you.”

“I’m sorry, was that supposed to make me feel better?”

Edom thought about that. “It was. In hindsight, I can see why it would not.”

“Yeah, seriously!”

“Alright, so, we’re splitting up?” Joe asked.

“One person makes a Scooby-Doo reference, they will regret it,” Abbie warned.

“Dammit,” Ray mumbled.

Edom walked off on his own while Jenny, Joe, and Ray headed for the south end of the building and Abbie and Ichabod headed for the front.

Joe walked toward a crate and heard heavy breathing. He drew the gun at the small of his back and walked around the crate.

The Bound One looked directly at him and stood at its full height.

“Oh, you’ve gotta be kidding me!” Joe opened fire, getting the attention of everyone. The Bound One started to move toward Joe, who took off running. The Bound One chased after him until Edom jumped from a crate and tackled it to the ground.

Jenny rounded the corner, pulled out her glass orb and fished out the bullets she put inside of it to place them in her revolver.

Ray ran up and saw what she was doing. “Wait. What are you doing?”

“This is going to disassemble that thing,” Jenny started loading it up.

Joe ran over and saw the orb and the bullets. “When did you do that?”

“On the drive on the way!” Jenny loaded the last of the bullets.

“How did you do it that fast?”

“NOT NOW!” Jenny took aim and fired three bullets into the back of the Bound One. The monster roared as smoke began to rise from its back.

“I think it did something!” Ray shouted, excited.

The Bound One turned and looked at them.

“Oh, good. It pissed him off.”

The Bound One charged at the trio and Jenny fired again, hitting it in the chest and arms; the Bound One roared but kept coming. They dodged out of the way, just as it crashed through the wall and almost landing right in front of Ichabod and Abbie.

“Ah, damn,” Abbie said, her gun already drawn.

The Bound One started to get up and Ichabod scrambled for his glass orb. The Bound One moved quickly and smacked both of them away with a backhand. Edom jumped through the hole in the wall but was met with a punch from the demon, sending into the wall again. Abbie threw her orb and it broke over the Bound One, causing it growl in pain. Edom stood up and threw one of his orbs, causing it to scream again. The Bound One stumbled toward some of the larger boxes and tossed one box at Edom, forcing him to dive out of the way. The Bound One grabbed a water pipe from the ceiling and swung it at Abbie. She dodged again but the Bound One increased its speed and caught her across the arm, grazing her. She grabbed her wound and the demon came at her again.

“LEFTANENT!” Ichabod ran and pushed her out of the way as the Bound One swung the pipe, catching Ichabod in the side and send him flying.

“CRANE!” Abbie shouted.

Gunfire echoed through the warehouse as Jenny, Joe, and Ray shot at the Bound One. It stumbled away from them as the bullets were allowing the potion on its skin to seep inside of it. The Bound One ran off further into the warehouse.

Jenny looked at Abbie.

“Go, go!” Abbie told them. “Get that son of a bitch!”

Edom got up, “Abbie, it will be my genuine pleasure!”

“How many orbs we got left?”

Edom summoned his sword, took out an orb, and broke the glass and the potion over his blade. “Enough.” He looked at the others. “Come!” They all hurried after the Bound One, leaving Abbie with Ichabod.

* * *

The Bound One stumbled to another part of the warehouse where the trucks were stationed. Edom rushed behind and cut The Bound One’s arm off again, causing it to roar. It retaliated by punching Edom and kicking him away.

Jenny rushed in, followed by Joe and Ray. She looked at the delivery trucks then at Joe, “Kept that damn thing distracted and don’t let it leave!”

“Keep it what?!” Ray asked.

“And what are you doing?!” Joe asked.

“Just do it!” Jenny ran for one of the delivery trucks.

“Do we have a choice?” Ray asked.

“Not usually,” Joe pulled out his orb and tossed it at the Bound One. It crashed on his chest and he started to scream again. Joe and Ray opened fire as the Bound One stalked toward them. It swung at them but they moved out of the way.

The sound of tires screeching caught everyone’s attention. The Bound One turned to see a delivery truck driven by Jenny coming rushing at him. She dove out of truck, sending her rolling on the ground, seconds before it smashed into the Bound One then crashed into the wall. Jenny looked up to see the damage and exhaled, bowing her head in relief.

There was the sound of movement from the truck. Jenny looked up as the truck slowly moved back.

“Oh, hell!” Jenny shouted.

The Bound One stumbled out of the wreckage.

“Take your rest, Jennifer,” Edom said, holding his sword. “He is mine to finish.”

The Bound One roared.

Edom ran at the Bound One, jumped, and yelled, “ _Apage, daemon!_ ” His sword glowed and he drove the blade into the chest of the Bound One, forcing a loud, guttural scream from the demon.

The Bound One struggled to move but it slowly dissolved from the inside, from the potions and the constant attacks. Second later, the demon was nothing but a lifeless husk.

Edom took a deep breath.

Jenny got up, rubbing her bruised arm. “This might make my top 10.”

Edom chuckled.

* * *

Abbie stayed sitting by Ichabod and they looked up at the loud roar that gradually faded out. “Sounds like they got him,” she said.

“One can hope.” Ichabod took a sharp breath.

She looked at him, nervously, “Crane?”

He shook his head, groaning. “It’s fine, fine. That demon is just… rather strong.” He looked up at her, staring into her eyes. “But… I’ll… be just fine.”

She couldn’t help but stare into his eyes either. She brought her hand to his face, stroking his cheek with her thumb. “Looks like you saved me this time.”

“I did express that I would. Are we… even now?”

“Who’s keeping score?”

“I assumed you were.”

“You’re right.”

They laughed then stared at each other, silently.

“Remember what I said before we left?” she asked.

“Yes,” he replied.

“Bound One’s done. And we are going to deal with this. _My_ way.”

His voice caught for a second. “A-Abbie…”

“What?” she asked, quietly, moving closer to his face. Her target being his lips.

“I…” He had something to say but for the life of him he couldn’t remember what it was.

A shadowed hand grabbed Abbie’s ankle and started pulling her toward the black hole against the wall it crawled from.

“ABBIE!” Ichabod placed a vice grip around her, despite the pain he was in.

They looked to see an image of a shadowed, demonic woman on the wall. It had to be Desdemona.

Abbie struggled but realized that it only had her. She would drag them both if Crane held on to her. “Let me go! She’s only got me! Let go, Crane!”

“No!” Ichabod shouted. “Never! I will never let you go again! I can’t!”

“Let me go, Crane. You come find me. You have before.”

“Abbie…”

She smiled. “I’ll wait for you, Crane. Always.” She, forcibly, threw his hands from her with a grunt and allowed herself to be pulled toward the shadow.

“ABBIE!” Ichabod shouted.

Edom, Jenny, and the others ran back in time to see Abbie almost completely absorbed into the shadows.

“ABBIE!” Jenny screamed.

Using his supernatural speed, Edom raced to save her but just missed grabbing her hand and slammed into the solid wall, causing him to bounce off of it and sending him to the ground.

Edom slammed his fist in the ground in frustration, “Damn!”

Ichabod pushed to his knees, “Abbie.” He fell over to his side, clutching his wound.

“Crane!” Jenny shouted as she rushed to him.

“Abbie… have to save her. Please. I will not… lose her… again…” Ichabod passed out.

Edom seethed. He looked at the wall. “Desdemona.”

* * *

Moments later, Abbie landed on the ground with a thud. She groaned and looked around, finding herself in an underground room. There were wooden supports around her, making her think she was in a basement.

She could also feel the presence of something sinister.

“Well, well, well,” a female voice said.

Abbie looked around as the shadows around her began to form into a fog.

“At last, one of my honored guests.”

She looked to see a woman with brown hair dressed in a regal blue dress.

“And you must be Desdemona,” Abbie said, defiantly.

“Indeed. And you are Abigail Mills. And now, you are mine.”

* * *

Ichabod awakened with a start and found himself in a hospital bed. He looked all around in confusion. He started to move, trying to get up when the door opened, and Jenny walked in.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” she said. “Crane!”

“Where am I?!” Ichabod asked, still trying to get up.

Jenny grabbed his shoulders, forcing him back to bed. “You’re in a hospital!”

“How long…”

“It’s just been an hour, Crane. Calm down!”

“I cannot calm down with the Leftenant in danger!” Ichabod tried to get up again. “I must leave.”

“You’re not going anywhere!” Jenny held him down.

“She needs my help, Jenny!”

“Peace, Ichabod,” Edom said.

Jenny and Ichabod looked to see Edom walk in.

“Be at peace.”

“I cannot!” Ichabod declared. “We have to rescue Abbie.”

“You are in no condition to go anywhere, let alone rescue anyone,” Edom said. “You will remain here. I will save Abbie.”

“But…”

“She was protecting you and you were protecting her,” Edom reminded. “I will now protect both of you. Also, she was trying to keep you from further harm and, if I allow you to come with me, I have feeling she will hurt me, severely.” He nodded his head, awkwardly, “And, to be perfectly honest, I’d rather face your wrath than hers.”

Ichabod sighed. “You truly are quite wise, my friend.”

“At least, let me go with you,” Jenny requested.

“I’m sorry, Jenny,” Edom said, “but I will not risk your life, either. You stay here with Ichabod.”

“Joe and Ray can stay here.”

“ _All of you_ will stay. This next venture I will handle, alone.”

“Isn’t it dangerous for you?” Jenny asked.

“Not as much,” Edom answered. “I’ll handle it. But I must hurry. Time is not on our side. As long as the witch has her, the more dangerous it is for Abigail.”

“Edom,” Ichabod grabbed his arm.

Edom looked at him.

“Please. Whatever it takes, save her. We can’t lose her. I… I cannot lose her. Not again. Not ever again.”

Edom nodded. “Rest, Ichabod. Rest. Leave this to me. I will not fail.”

Ichabod nodded and leaned his head back to the pillow.

“How do you know where Desdemona is?” Jenny asked.

“Gate tracked down where the demons have been gathering,” Edom said. “He was outside a moment ago and reported an increase in their activity at their meeting point. It must be her lair. He’s going to lead me to that witch’s den, where I’ll eradicate her from this plane of existence and all who stand with her.” He looked at them both, “I’m going to save Abbie. I’ll bring her home.”

“We want _you_ to come back, too.”

Edom placed a hand on Jenny’s shoulder, “She matters more. I’ll bring her home. Or give my life trying.”


	9. Chapter 8: The Night Queen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edom races to face Desdemona, the Night Queen, to save Abbie.

Edom drove his SUV outside of Sleepy Hollow, following Gate as he led him to Desdemona and, hopefully, to where Abbie was being held. Edom’s mind went to how all of this was his fault. The news of Golan being in Sleepy Hollow on orders from Migron did leave him more than a little disturbed. He should’ve been faster or, rather, he should’ve known that Desdemona would be up to more than simply unleashing the Bound One to cause simple destruction. Edom knew he had to make this right and he would. He would save Abbie then deal with his other failures.

After nearly two hours of driving, Edom followed Gate as they went off of the main road and into another forest. He stopped in the woods where Gate was waiting for him. He looked around and felt several demons not far from where they were. He got out of the SUV and looked at Gate, who nodded to confirm that Desdemona was nearby. Edom walked to the trunk of the SUV, opened it up, and removed the bottom covering to reveal a small weapons cache. He grabbed a revolver, a bolo knife, a Bowie knife, and a sawed-off shotgun known as a lupara. He put on a leather holster, placed the revolver underneath his left arm, the Bowie knife at his right side, the bolo knife at his back, while he opted to carry the shotgun.

They walked for another mile until they came to even older looking house than Sir Book’s, where Edom’s journal was hidden. The evil was so strong Edom could practically taste it.

“Gate,” Edom said.

Gate looked up at Edom.

“Watch from here. If I don’t come out in three hours, go get Jennifer. She’ll know what to do if she sees you without me. Then, Gate, and this is the most important part, you come back here and fight with everything you’ve got and save Abigail. Do you understand?”

Gate nodded.

Edom nodded, “Okay.” He placed his hand on Gate’s head. “God be with you, my friend. God be with us all.” He looked back at the house and marched toward it.

* * *

Abbie looked at the face of Desdemona, who appeared human. Abbie knew better, though; there was probably quite a bit of ugliness covered by the fake beauty. Abbie could feel the evil radiating off of Desdemona. It felt almost as deep as the darkness that was surrounding them.

“Such strong fire in your eyes,” Desdemona said. “You must be a fierce warrior.”

Abbie didn’t say anything.

“But you must be broken. And I will break you.”

“Do your best,” Abbie replied. “Better than you have tried and failed.”

“Oh?” Desdemona chortled. “Is that so? Maybe you will show me the strong warrior you are. That is, when you’re not playing chambermaid to Ichabod Crane.”

“I’m _nobody’s_ chambermaid.”

“No. More like slave.”

“I damn sure am not a _slave!_ ” Abbie fired back.

“Really?” Desdemona asked, snidely. “Do you not drive him everywhere? Have to teach him to live in this world?”

“I’m his…” Abbie stopped. She took a breath. “I’m his friend. His partner.”

“But yet you pause? Do you not know what you are?”

“I’m his friend!”

Desdemona laughed again. “Are you even sure you’re that?”

“You don’t know anything about us!” Abbie shouted.

“Think so?” Desdemona smiled.

Abbie saw Desdemona’s smile stretch further than it should have and saw her teeth were actually fangs.

“Let us find out. Shall we?”

* * *

Ichabod awakened with a start and looked around, dazed. He felt a slight headache as he had a nightmare where Abbie was in trouble. But he wasn’t sure if was a nightmare or something happening right now. He saw Jenny sitting in the chair. “Jenny,” he said, weakly.

Jenny looked up, “Crane?” She got up and went over to him. “Did you need something? I can get the nurse.”

“I do not require a nurse.” He struggled until he sat up. “I need to know the Leftenant is safe.”

“Edom’s on his way to get her. You know he won’t come back without her.”

Ichabod ran his hands over his face as he thought for a while. He lowered his hands. “Do you recall… how we almost lost her to Pandora’s Box?”

Jenny nodded.

“I was so frightened. It was her in the Catacombs all over again. But… so much more permanent.”

“Yeah, it was scary.”

“I can’t imagine life without her. How could I ever live in a world without her?”

She smiled. “How could either of us?”

“I cannot lose her. Not now, not ever. Not when there’s so much I need to say.” He looked at Jenny. “You’re right. Edom’s right. I do love her. More than anything. And I have been afraid to say it. Afraid of her rejection, afraid of failing her, afraid of not being the man she deserves, afraid of all that could happen, that can still happen.” He stopped for a while. “I’ve… even been afraid of the possibility of being in love. Katrina’s betrayal has left me… fearful in that arena.”

Jenny grabbed her chair and pulled it closer to the bed, “No one can blame you,” she sat down. “Abbie’s scared, too.”

Ichabod’s eyes widened. “She told you?”

“She didn’t have to. I know my sister. When she wants something, she goes for it. And only one thing ever stops her and that’s fear. She doesn’t get it often but she does get it. We both have a lot of experience with it.”

“Let us hope that Edom is successful. For all of our sakes.”

She smiled. “No, I don’t think we need to worry. Edom’s got this.”

“You have certainly come to trust him quite a bit in recent weeks,” he noted. “You and Joe have become close with him.”

“It’s hard to explain. It’s like… he looks out for all of us. He’s like an older brother or…”

He nodded, “Or like a father.”

She paused. “Just… it feels good to know what that feels like. I mean, besides August, of course. It’s just… good to have someone you can count on.”

“Agreed.”

Jenny looked and remembered that Ichabod’s relationship with his father was strained as well. “Sorry. I keep forgetting I’m not the only one in the room with daddy issues.”

Ichabod smiled. “Think nothing of it.” He exhaled. “I am… having a bit of trouble holding on to faith, Jenny. I need your help in believing that Edom will save Abbie.”

“It’s because you love her so much. You don’t want to lose her.”

“That’s true,” he admitted. “Can you help me?”

“I’d be happy to.” She took hold of his hand. “Abbie’s going to be fine. Edom’s going to go get her. He hasn’t let us down so far and I don’t see him starting now. She’ll be back and you guys can work this out.”

“Thank you, Jenny.”

“Anytime, Crane.”

* * *

Edom slowly opened the door and walked in the house, listening carefully for any danger. He tucked and rolled when he saw a knife flying his way, firing his shotgun immediately upon getting to a kneeling position. He caught the demon responsible for throwing the knife right in the chest with the gunshot. Two more rushed out at Edom, tackling him to the ground. Edom punched one in the face then kicked the other; then followed up with two shots, catching both demons in the head.

Edom huffed as he got his bearings back.

“Could it be?” voices echoed. They seemed to be coming from the house itself but Edom knew better.

“Is it him?” the voices went on. “The ascender. Betrayer. Murderer.”

Edom got to his feet. “Demonic pests. Your tricks won’t work on me. I already know what I am. And you, vermin, are nothing. I came for your mistress and the warrior she abducted. Return Abigail Mills to me and you will all be allowed stay in this world a little longer. Refuse me and I force my way to her and execute the lot of you.”

“Your threats mean nothing, seraph,” one demon warned.

“You will die here, archangel,” another demon hissed.

Edom looked all around as he knew the fight was about to begin. “You will soon learn, cretins: I don’t make threats without the promise that they will be carried out.”

“You cannot save her, seraphim,” the voices called out. “You will fail! You are nothing! Powerless! Worthless! You have no way of stopping us! The woman is ours and you can’t save her.”

“Is that so? There’s a certain song that exists is pop culture these days and it has one line of lyrics that fits this occasion: ‘Don’t believe me? Just watch.’”

* * *

Desdemona could feel Edom was inside her domain. ‘ _Too soon,_ ’ she thought to herself. ‘ _He’s here too soon! I must hurry._ ’ She turned her attention back to Abbie. “What do you know about Ichabod Crane?”

“Plenty,” Abbie said, defiantly.

“Hm.” Desdemona reached toward Abbie; her hand became thin, very nearly skeletal. She grabbed Abbie’s face by her cheeks faster than Abbie could react. “You mean nothing to him, you know? You are nothing but another in the long line of women he’s had and lost.”

“You’re full of crap! Why should I listen to a damn thing you have to say?!”

“Do you care for him?”

“You could never understand,” Abbie fired back. “Ever. Your kind never does.”

Desdemona giggled. “Oh, you’re so adorable.”

“Shut up.”

“You truly believe that he cares for you beyond anything more than another guide for this world?”

“Shut your damn mouth, you bitch!”

“If you mean so much to him, why does he not tell you?” Desdemona inquired. “Because, you know the truth, in your heart, Abbie: you are no one special to him.”

Abbie shook her head. She couldn’t figure out why but something Desdemona said sounded like the truth. Abbie knew for a fact that she meant more to Ichabod than that. She meant the world to him.

Didn’t she?

* * *

Edom fought his way through the house, shooting and cutting his way through every demon that attacked him. He could sense that their numbers were dwindling but so was his energy. His guns had been destroyed along the way and he was down to just his bolo knife and Bowie knife. After slaughtering a few more demons, he sensed Desdemona and Abbie were somewhere beneath the house.

Edom growled, “Of course. Rats always hide in the basement.” He headed downstairs. He made it to a cellar when he found a dozen demons waiting for him, all of them in human-like forms and the size of professional football linebackers.

“Oh, wonderful!” Edom said, sarcastically.

“Turn back now, fool,” one of the demons said.

“You will taste no victory here, angel,” another said.

“There is no salvation,” another demon said.

“Choose a few more precious moments or choose death.”

Edom looked at them all and, defiantly, replied, “I choose death.”

The demons laughed.

“That’s just what we wanted to hear,” the first demon said.

Edom rushed at the closest demon and ran both knives into his chest, killing the demon instantly. The rest swarmed Edom at once. Two of the demons grabbed Edom and threw him back, sending him crashing against a wall. Edom got his bearings back and managed to kill another incoming demon before being punched by another. Edom kicked another demon away and threw himself against two of the demons, knocking the down. Edom got back up but was kicked in the back, punched in the gut, then thrown to the ground.

One of the demons walked up and kicked Edom hard enough to send him sailing into a far wall. “Stupid angel.”

Edom struggled to push himself up.

“You have failed. The Witness belongs to our mistress. And you will die here.”

Edom rushed up and started attacking again. He managed to land a few hits on the demons but they began fighting back even harder. Another a round of combat, Edom was kicked into the wall again. He managed to kill two more demons but suffered cracked ribs in the process.

Edom growled. ‘ _Stay focused, Edom. Stay focused. Will you fail Abigail? As you failed Kenya? As you failed Kaya? You weren’t there for August or Lori. You_ can _be here for their children. You can be here for Abigail. Do this for her. For Ichabod! For Jenny and Joe! GET UP!_ ’ He took a deep breath and looked up.

One of the demons laughed. “Still have some fight in you?”

Edom exhaled and slowly got to his feet.

“Good. We’ll enjoy bringing your more pain before you die.”

“You chose death,” another demon said. “Prepare to go greet your Father.”

“You fools,” Edom tightened the grip on his blades. “I am more than prepared to meet my Father.” He shook his head. “But not today.”

“You will fail, angel.”

“I have failed before. I will not fail now!”

“You are going to die!” the demon declared. “There is nothing that can change that, angel!”

“SILENCE!” Edom screamed.

With all he had, Edom charged against the demons and fought with everything he had. The demons attacked him, cutting him in various areas, and Edom responded in kind. After minutes of fighting, Edom came down to one last demon.

“Your death will come soon enough, angel,” the demon said.

“Perhaps,” Edom replied. “But not at your hand.”

The demon rushed at him but Edom charged in, stepping up his speed at the last second, to gain an advantage and cut the demon’s head off.

With all of the demons dispatched, Edom fell to a knee as he struggled to catch his breath and not vomit. He was successful in the first mission but not so much in the second. He wiped his mouth with the edge of his shirt and stood up. “I’m coming, Abigail. Please. Please, be alive.” He hurried to deeper into the cellar until he found a ladder that led down further.

* * *

Desdemona felt all of her guards had been destroyed. She didn’t know how Edom accomplished that but it hardly mattered. He was coming. She needed to hurry. “You are nothing, insignificant.” Desdemona circled Abbie. “Face it, Abbie! You exist only as a guide for Ichabod! You are nothing! No one! Replaceable!”

Abbie was trying to focus but it wasn’t working. The voice in her head sounded just like hers, telling her that she meant nothing as well but it was wrong. All of that had to be wrong. “Shut up!” she shouted. “SHUT UP!”

“If you died, he wouldn’t care! The world would go on! His world would go on! Ichabod would not miss you.”

Abbie looked up and saw Desdemona was smiling.

Desdemona could see it. She was starting to break her. “He would find someone else. He’s lost loves before. You’re no different. Just another person. That’s all you are.”

“That…” Abbie took a breath. ‘ _Why can’t I think clearly?!_ ’ she thought to herself. “Th-that’s a lie!”

Desdemona laughed, condescendingly. “Oh, look at the cute little Witness! Did you want him to love you? Take you to his bed? Marry you? Were you willing to take his name? Abigail Crane? Or Abigail Mills-Crane? Oh, what a lovely fantasy!”

“Shut up!” Abbie shouted. “You’re just a liar! That’s all you are! SHUT UP!”

Desdemona leaned closer as she formed more shadows. “I speak the truth,” she whispered. “You know that.”

“No!”

“You only lie to yourself.” Desdemona looked at the pendant around Abbie’s neck. “And what is this?” She took hold of the pendant. “Oh, dear.” She snatched it off.

“Give that back!” Abbie demanded.

Desdemona laughed. “A trinket from your ‘beloved’ Ichabod?”

“It’s mine!”

“You think this means anything?! This!? He probably found it on the street!”

“No! It means something to him! _I_ mean something to him!”

“YOU LIE TO YOURSELF!” Desdemona screamed. “He married Katrina, made love to Katrina, had a child with Katrina. Do you think he will ever do any of that with you?”

Abbie shut her eyes tight and slammed her hands over ears, “Shut up! Shut up!”

“You must stare the truth in the face. Ichabod Crane will never love you. And, if he can’t love you, what have you been all this time? Nothing more than another proxy. You are nothing, Abigail Mills. You are no one. You are no one at all.”

Abbie struggled to hold on to herself but so much was making sense. She couldn’t distinguish between her own voice and Desdemona’s anymore. Abbie couldn’t help but think Desdemona was right. Maybe she was wrong all along. Maybe she would never be more than a partner to Ichabod. He would never see her like she saw him. She wasn’t Katrina or Betsy. She never would be. Who was she?

She had to face the reality.

“He will never love you,” Desdemona whispered.

Ichabod would never love her.

Desdemona smiled then laughed. She had a hearty laugh. “And, now, Abigail Mills, you are mine.” She surrounded Abbie with her shadows.

* * *

Exhausted and pained, Edom hurried as fast as he could down the tunnel. He came to a heavy door where he could feel a strong evil power from the other side, but also he felt Abbie’s presence as well. He seethed and pushed the door out of the way. He came to a room and found Abbie floating, surrounded by a cloud of shadows.

“ABIGAIL!” Edom screamed.

Desdemona chortled, causing Edom to look around. He couldn’t see Desdemona as she was hidden but the shadows in the chamber were starting to grow all around him.

“Well, well, well!” Desdemona said, insultingly. “If it isn’t Lord Edom! It’s been so long, dear angel.”

“You perverse witch,” Edom gritted. “You will release the Witness at once or suffer my wrath.”

“Your ‘wrath’? My, my. So angry. Why, one must wonder.” Desdemona materialized and moved around Abbie. “Is it to save this woman?”

“Get away from her, you damned piece of excrement!” Edom shouted.

Desdemona laughed. “Are you trying to save her? Redeem yourself for the many, many souls that you haven’t saved?”

“I’m here to save her. And rid the world of you, at long last.”

“She’s broken. Useless.”

“You confuse her with yourself,” Edom fired back. “She has many more years of fight in her. You hardly have the next five minutes.”

“You amuse me, Edom,” Desdemona said. “I will feast on your soul right after I take hers.”

“You will do nothing but die!”

“We’ve done this before, Edom. You lost. What makes today different?”

“Because, tonight, I will not stop until you are nothing more than a rotted corpse.”

Desdemona growled.

“Prepare to meet your end,” Edom warned.

“Not by your hand, fool!” Desdemona rose to a height rivaling that of the Bound One, her beauty fell away, revealing a skeletal face and her limbs became elongated.

Edom’s eyes widened and he took a step back in shock. It had been a long time since he had seen her true form.

“She is mine!” Desdemona roared.

Edom gritted his teeth, “No. She is not!”

Edom and Desdemona charged at each other; Desdemona grabbed Edom and threw him against a far wall, causing him to drop his blades. Edom sat for a second as the pain he had already sustained was multiplied exponentially upon on impact. Edom looked back at Abbie still suspended in mid-air.

Edom gritted his teeth once again; pain would have to wait. He had to keep fighting.

He grabbed his blades, stood up, and jumped at Desdemona. She grabbed him out of the air and slammed him to the ground. He sliced her arms with knives, causing her to scream and release him. Edom rolled away from Desdemona to prepare for another charge as she recoiled from the injury. He jumped at her, again, once her back was to him and drove both knives in her back. Desdemona howled a high-pitch wail and reached for Edom but was unable to grab him. She threw herself against the wall. She backed away and watched as Edom sank down to the floor.

Edom felt the pain radiate more. But he wasn’t out yet. He had one trump card left and all he needed was the chance to play it. And, taking into account Desdemona’s arrogance, he knew that chance would come as long as he stayed down.

Desdemona removed the knives from her back and tossed them away. “Enough of this! I will tolerate you no longer!” She grabbed Edom by the throat and lifted him closer. “Do you have any finals words, Edom?”

Edom smirked. The chance he needed was here. “Just two.” Faster than Desdemona could track, Edom slammed his medallion in her sternum and shouted, “ _SANCTUS LUX!_ ”

Desdemona screamed as the holy light seared through her entire body, causing her to drop Edom. Desdemona clutched at her chest as the dark powers she had consumed over the years slowly left her body, which also caused the shadows around Abbie to fade and gently lower her to ground.

Desdemona’s body reverted to the form of a decaying human corpse.

“I did tell you I wouldn’t stop until you became a corpse,” Edom said out of breath. “You should’ve listened.”

Desdemona looked at her hands as she started shaking. “Im…impossible.”

Edom stood up, “No.” He walked over and removed his medallion, peeling out of her sternum. “Just unfortunate for you.”

“H-how…”

“Did I find my medallion? It proved to be slightly difficult. You did well hiding it. I found where your minions hid it over two centuries ago. Probably shortly after Pandora trapped you in that infernal Box. I didn’t have it when I faced you in Osaka, you genocidal witch, but I have it now. Your end has come, Desdemona. Accept it.”

Desdemona struggled to move but she had no power left. She had lived too long with her power sustaining her. She should’ve died long ago. “Killing me won’t stop what’s coming, Edom. You will not stop the Summoning. The Call has already begun.”

“I don’t care about your words, demon wench,” Edom retorted. “Whatever is coming, it will be negated. Just like you will die here.”

Desdemona scoffed. “Then your God be with you, angel. Kill me. But your war? It hasn’t even begun.”

“Tell me something I don’t know.”

Edom morphed his medallion into his sword and plunged it into her chest. Desdemona let out a grunt but before falling over. Her body dissolved into dust seconds later.

Edom exhaled. “At last.” He looked up and saw Abbie was sitting on her knees with a faraway look in her eyes. “Oh, no!” He ran over to Abbie and kneeled in front of her. “Abigail! Abigail!”

Abbie didn’t respond.

“Abigail! Can you hear me!”

She didn’t move.

Edom had seen this before. Many of Desdemona’s victims suffered similar fates or worse when she was trying to break them or remove their souls. Edom arrived in time but he needed to bring Abbie’s mind back from the broken state Desdemona left her in. Fortunately, he knew how but it wasn’t always guaranteed success. He prayed it would succeed this time.

“Look at me, Abigail!” Edom demanded.

Abbie looked at him.

“Who are you?”

She leaned her head to the side. She couldn’t comprehend the question.

“Say your name.”

Abbie opened her mouth, struggling to speak. “I… I… I am no one.”

“YOU ARE NOT!” Edom calmed down and took her hand. “Abigail. You have to remember who you are! The _last_ thing you are is no one! To those around you, the ones who love you, you are irreplaceable! Do you understand?!”

She was still showing almost no recognition to his words.

“Abigail, you need to remember! Remember who are! Remember what you’ve accomplished! You’ve fought with gods of evil, endured against powers far beyond you, walked with angels, and you’ve _kept your stride_. You are an incredible person. More than incredible. There are beings like myself who will never accomplish your feats! More than that, you continue a legacy that is as great as any. I have walked with the strongest men and women in history and you rank among them.” He devised a way to bring this closer to home. “And I have walked along side women of your same background and you make them all proud! I freed slaves with Harriet Tubman, sat with Rosa Parks, I even once watched Maya Angelou pen a masterpiece.” He stared in her eyes, “And I have had the distinct honor of fighting alongside Grace Abigail Mills. A woman as strong, if not stronger, than any other person in history.”

Abbie opened her mouth, “I… I don’t…”

Edom struggled to think of anything else. He looked down and saw the Okodee Mmowere pendant. His eyebrows shot up as he snatched it quickly and presented it before her. “Do you know what this is?”

A flash of recognition came to Abbie’s face.

“Yes!” Edom said, relieved. “You do know. Now, who gave it to you? What is his name?”

She looked back at Edom.

“His name. The name of the man you are physically _and_ mentally exhausted by. He drives you crazy. You get frustrated with him, you can’t help but want to hit him at times, and he thinks he’s always right. And you wouldn’t trade him for anything in this world. The man you have guided, who you have protected and who has protected you. He is not defined by you, he’s been made better because you. You are not defined by him, he challenges you and you found someone you could truly trust. You know this, he knows this.” Edom took Abbie’s hand again. “The man you love and who loves you. Say his name!”

She struggled to speak as a tear fell. “Crane,” she whispered. “Ichabod Crane.”

Edom nodded, “Yes. Now, name your sister. Name the person who would happily share all of your trials. Your sister, who shared your fears, your joys, your triumphs and tragedies. The sister who would go through hell for you and you for her. Name her.”

“Jenny Mills.”

“Good. Good! You know those closest to your heart. Know your heart, know yourself. Now, _say your name!_ ”

She stared at him. “Abigail. Grace Abigail Mills.” In that instant, her clarity came back. She breathed in sharply then took a few deep breaths. She looked around, stunned. “Edom?”

Edom smiled, “Welcome back, Abigail.”

She fell back into a seated position and placed her hands over her eyes. She groaned. “I feel like I was asleep for years then woke up from a nightmare.”

“Keep thinking of it that way. It’s always worked for me.”

She moved her hands, “What the hell was that?”

“Desdemona,” he answered. “She was trying to take your soul but your will was too strong. She had to break you. She probably used the one thing that meant the most to you against you.”

She paused. “Crane.”

“He’s definitely the most powerful force to use against you. Aside from Jennifer, of course.” Edom looked over where Desdemona dissolved. “But still, she was much stronger than she had ever been before.” He looked back at Abbie. “Her influence should’ve been broken when I destroyed her. She probably just had the power stored up from her time in the Box.”

“It was like…” Abbie said, trying to figure how to describe it. “I was in here but… but didn’t know it.”

“It’s what she does.” Edom corrected himself, “Did. Had she taken your soul, it would’ve taken much to get it back. But she more of… placed your mind and soul in a room, locked it, and hid the key from you.”

“How’d you find the key?”

“The maddening part of her power, which, actually, doubles as its genius, is that you have the key in your pocket and you don’t realize it.”

She looked around, “Where’s Crane?”

“Hospital,” he replied. “Waiting for you.”

“I need to talk to him.”

“I suspect that you do.” Edom held up the pendant.

Abbie smiled and took the pendant. She fastened it back around her neck. “Know your heart…”

“Know yourself. It’s true in any life.” He placed a hand on her shoulder, “Let’s get you back to your hearts, shall we?”

“Sounds good.”

* * *

**_Cairo, Egypt._ **

Migron was walking up the steps to the National History Museum. He stopped and looked over his shoulder. He stared toward the east.

“Leader?” Golan asked him. “Is something wrong?”

“Not sure. I feel something happening back there. In Sleepy Hollow, I think. Something is shifting. A power was suddenly eradicated.”

“Should I return there?”

Migron shook his head, “No. We have work to do. It was probably no more than just a demon has been destroyed. Nothing to be concerned with. For now.” He knew, somehow, though; soon, he and Golan would have to return to Sleepy Hollow.


	10. Chapter 9: At Last

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Edom rescues her, Abbie and Ichabod have a long talk about their relationship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title is inspired by both the song “At Last” by Etta James and the fact that I did drag this out a bit. But, hell, at least, it's happening here! The show NEVER let it happen! Anyway... enjoy!

The drive back to Sleepy Hollow was somber and calm, desperately needed after the past few days. The subtle sounds of smooth jazz music played as Edom drove while Abbie stared out of the passenger side window. Edom called Jenny as soon as they got in the car, and let her know Abbie was fine, alive, and that they were on their way back. Touching her pendant, Abbie stared at the street lights passing by and the stars in the clear, night sky as the past couple of years flashed through her mind. The focus of her reminiscing being Ichabod.

“How’d you know?” Abbie asked Edom, still staring out of the window. “About how I feel about Crane?”

“Experience,” Edom answered, never taking his eyes off of the road. “I’ve lived a long time, Abigail. A person in love is pretty easy to spot. Their smile is different. Something about it, no matter how terrible the events around them, still shines.”

“And what makes you think that he feels the same way?”

“We’ve already talked. But, despite that, experience. I’ve seen that look in his eyes. He’s only had it a handful of times in his life. And, if I can be this bold, this time is different.”

Abbie smiled a bit. “Different how?”

“It’s stronger. He’s clearly ready for all of this.” Edom smirked then sobered. “And you didn’t find me attractive and I am quite the handsome man.”

“Maybe you’re just not my type.”

Edom smiled. “Clearly, I’m not.” He sighed. “I’m glad you’re doing alright, Abigail.”

“For the most part,” Abbie replied. “A lot of what Desdemona said got to me.”

“She has ways of doing that.”

She looked at him, “She got to you?”

“It was a long time ago. Centuries.”

She looked down at the floor. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” he said. “I have plenty of faults of my own. A lot of failures. She turned them against me. All too easy, considering.”

“Just a matter of overcoming them.”

“Indeed. With that in mind, do you wish to talk about it?”

She looked back at him.

He looked at her, briefly, before focusing back on the road. “What she did to you?”

She looked away from him then back outside her own window. “If you don’t mind.”

“I’m all ears.”

“She used my feelings for Crane…” She stopped and decided to stop beating around the bush about this. “She used the fact that I’m in love with him against me.”

“Was your admission of love for Ichabod just now to inform me? Because we already established that I knew that.”

“I just want to stop lying to myself and say it out loud.”

Edom chuckled, softly.

“She… said that Crane would never love me. That I was just a… patsy for him, I guess. A long line of people who just supported him and, in the end, I don’t matter.”

He took a deep breath. “Pardon my language but that bitch.”

Abbie scoffed. “Yeah.”

“I know she used that ridiculous accusation against you but, rest assured, you are much more than that to Lord Crane. You are worlds more, Abigail.”

She nodded but took a deep breath and exhaled. “But… I can’t help but feel she was right.”

“How’s that?” he asked, confused.

“I mean, I feel like that sometimes,” she admitted. “That… I can’t be with him.” She exhaled. “Something always stopped me. Fear, I guess.”

He took a few minutes to wrap his mind around that concept. “That you are nothing but a proxy for Ichabod? Just his guide and, in the end, you don’t matter?”

She nodded, hesitantly.

He sat quietly for a while, scratching his chin. He lifted his hand up and opened his mouth. Then shook his head. “That is, easily… the _stupidest_ thing I’ve ever heard. 1500 years on Earth for a single stretch, give or take, and _that_ is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. Do you realize the implication of that?”

She gave a small shrug, “When you put it that way…”

“You have to know how incredibly wrong that is! How ridiculous it sounds!”

She giggled to herself. “Well, now it is, yeah.” She sighed. “I guess this is… this is me feeling like…” She shook her head. “This is gonna sound so stupid.”

“Try me.”

She took a second to completely gather her thoughts. “He had history with everyone else. Detailed history, storied history. I mean, Katrina, Betsy Ross, all they went through, all they experienced.” She stopped and sighed. “I don’t compete with anyone…”

“And you don’t nor should you have to.”

She smirked. “But… when it comes to Crane, I became content with… just being his backup, his best friend. It always seemed like too much to hope for to want more. Seemed like it was never gonna be more than that. Being his friend was a safe space.”

“You settled for that role, the ‘safer’ role, when you could be so much more?”

“We already have enough to worry about without putting a relationship in there.”

“The two of you are already _in_ a relationship,” he said. “The way you tease, taunt, provoke, relate, and protect each other. All you’re missing is an exchange of vows and rings.”

“Pump your brakes there, angel man.”

Edom smiled. “Just making my point.”

Abbie looked back outside. “But it _has_ been different since Pandora’s Box. Me and him. Hell, even right when it all started. Things changed, ya know? I could feel it. We both could, I think. It’s like… I can’t stop myself from smiling around him. My heart actually does beat faster when he flashes that smile of his. I love to prove him wrong or frustrate him a little just to see the look on his face.” She thought about all of those times. “I love that look.”

Edom chuckled.

“Even when he’s right, he’s handsome when he gets that stupid, smug look on his face. And I hate that look.”

“Or you love it.”

“Or I love it.”

Edom chuckled. “He feels the same.”

“But I can’t help but think that Desdemona had a point,” Abbie admitted. “What makes me different from the rest? Even you have a longer history with him than I do. What makes me… special? More… memorable than the others? Why should I matter more?”

“It doesn’t matter how much time you spend with someone. The difference is what you make of that time. For instance, I’ve known you a grand total of hardly a few months’ time, and I can say that there are few I trust more than you, Abigail. Your sister and Joe. I know, in my heart, you are people I can count on in times of need.”

She looked at him. “Always.”

He smiled. “The same rings true for you and Ichabod. Yes, your history isn’t as long as he has had with others but that is hardly a concern. You two have done more in your ‘short’ time, and I use that term loosely, than many people have with their seventy-plus years. But here is the question: what will you do with your time with him going forward? Will you worry and obsess over his past? Or will you simply enjoy the time you have been given? Love him on your terms, not based on the past. It’s the love between you and him. Not him and Katrina nor him and Betsy Ross nor you and…” He stopped. “Huh. Who would I name there?”

“If anyone?” Abbie looked away, embarrassed. “…Danny.”

Edom shot eyes over to her, stunned. “Get out of town! You and Daniel! No!”

She shrugged.

He sat back. “Huh. Will wonders never cease.” He shook his head, “Er! Regardless! Nothing about a past love matters to the love you have now unless you _let_ it stop you.” He looked at Abbie, “Will you let your past stop you from loving him?”

She looked at him. “Hell, no.”

He smirked. “There you are.”

She took all of that in. It made a lot of sense coming from another person. “You certainly have your way with words.”

“Well, I’ll be honest: I’m biased. I like you, Abigail. You’ve got a heart that’s rare and a bravery that is unparalleled. Desdemona should’ve destroyed you by the time I arrived but you were simply struck down. Not destroyed. What makes you more special, memorable, or however you choose to phrase it, is you. There is no magic there except for the kind your own heart can create. It always has been when it comes to humans and it always will be. _That’s_ the difference. _That’s_ where your love for Ichabod and his for you is different. Because _that’s_ where it matters the most.”

She sat back, feeling more at peace than ever about all of this. “Edom, thank you. For coming after me, for talking to me, for everything you’ve done since you got here, thank you.”

“You’re more than welcome,” he replied. “Oh! For the record, the only reason Ichabod isn’t here is because we had to make him stay in bed. He would’ve come for you, Abigail. No matter where you were.”

She smiled. “I know. He always has.”

He smiled then exhaled. “So, are you ready to make your life even more complicated?”

“Only one way to find that out.”

“Want me to drive faster?”

“No. This could blow up in my face.”

“We are still talking about Ichabod Crane, aren’t we?”

“All the same, this speed is fine,” Abbie replied. “It’s a good calm before the storm. Quiet isn’t always a bad thing.”

Edom smiled. “Amen to that, dear lady. Amen to that.”

* * *

The familiar city of Sleepy Hollow finally came back into view and Abbie couldn’t have been happier to see it. Edom drove straight to the hospital, not even bothering to ask where Abbie wanted to go or head for any other direction.

When they pulled up to the hospital, Abbie got out and walked into the hospital with a hurried step; Edom followed behind her. Abbie saw Jenny, Joe, Sophie, and Ray sitting inside the waiting area; the Mills sisters locked eyes, rushed at each other, and hugged. Joe, Sophie, and Ray got up and greeted Abbie and Edom as well, all of them relieved.

“I’m seriously gonna kill you myself if you don’t stop getting kidnapped,” Jenny said.

“Well, we gotta keep things interesting,” Abbie replied.

“Interesting is dangerous.”

“A little.”

Sophie sighed. “Glad to have you back, Abbie.”

“Thanks,” Abbie said.

“You okay?” Joe asked.

“Getting there.” Abbie looked back at Edom then at Jenny. “Where’s Crane?”

“Upstairs, room 354,” Jenny pointed. “Follow me.”

Abbie, Jenny, and Edom took the elevator up while the others stayed in the waiting room. They walked down the hallway and came to the door for Room 354. Jenny was about to put her hand on the handle.

“Jenny, wait!” Abbie said.

Jenny turned and looked at her. “What’s wrong?”

“I need to talk to him. Alone.”

“Alone?”

Abbie nodded.

Jenny smiled. “Sure. Go get ‘im.”

“Right.” Abbie stared at the door. “Once I open this door, nothing is gonna be the same.”

“Sometimes,” Edom said, “a lot of times, life comes down to what door we decide to open. And change can be good. This change, I feel, will be fantastic.”

Abbie looked at him. “You sure about this?”

“As sure as I’ve ever been.”

She looked at Jenny.

“You already know,” Jenny declared.

Abbie nodded, “Okay.” She thought for a second and looked at the door. “Can angels wish people good luck?”

“We would if believed in it but we don’t,” Edom said. “Even if I did, I wouldn’t wish it here because you need no luck of any kind.”

Abbie took a deep breath, “Last time we almost had a talk like this in a hospital, Danny walked in.”

Edom smiled and motioned to himself and Jenny, “We’ll guard the door.”

Abbie looked at Edom, “Thanks, Ed.”

“My privilege. Abbie.”

She looked back at the door, took another deep breath, and opened it. She walked in and closed the door behind her.

Jenny looked at Edom. She threw arms around him, hugging him tightly.

“Oh!” Edom exclaimed, surprised at the action.

“Thank you, Ed,” Jenny said. “Thank you.”

Edom smiled and hugged her back. “It’s my pleasure.”

She released the hug. “Sorry about that.”

“Don’t be.”

Jenny looked back at the door. “You think this’ll work?”

“I have no doubt,” Edom answered.

“I knew it. He’s gonna be my brother-in-law.”

“That will be quite the wedding reception.”

“Same thing I said.”

* * *

Abbie closed the door and found Ichabod asleep. She found the similarities to just weeks ago after Pandora’s Box very ironic. She walked over to and brushed his hair back. Her eyes fell to his lips again and the need to kiss him suddenly became very strong.

He moaned, lowly. He, slowly, opened his eyes, and looked at her, “Leftenant?”

“Good morning, sunshine,” Abbie smiled.

He immediately lifted up and engulfed her into a hug. She wrapped her arms around him, a stray tear fell from her eye. She smiled brighter as a warmth flowed through her body. It felt good to be in his arms again. It always did.

He came up with a million things to say since Edom left to rescue her and a million more since he found her standing in front of him but he found that nothing would come out of his mouth. He just wanted to hold her and never let her go again.

She exhaled. “We have to stop meeting like this.”

He scoffed. “As long as I see you, I’ll be alright.”

“Same here.” She separated from him and looked into his eyes. Every time she looked into them, she found something there she liked. Something she loved. This was no different.

He always saw something in her eyes, as well. Fear always stopped him from admitting it to himself. He could also tell that she was thinking about something. “Is something wrong?”

“We’ll see,” she replied. “We need to talk and we need to do this now before anything else happens. Is… that okay with you?”

“Of course.”

She stood up and slowly walked around his bed, gathering her thoughts. She came to the foot of his bed and looked at him, “All we’ve been through… it would drive anyone else crazy.”

“Most would question our sanity,” he noted. “And have.”

“Most of the time, I wouldn’t stop them. Talking about it out loud is almost crazy but…” She stopped and exhaled. “This… that isn’t how I wanted to start this. My point is that… all we’ve dealt with, we’ve been through all of it, all of this insanity, we’ve been through it… together.”

He smiled and nodded. “Yes. We have.”

“When it comes to that… us, being together in those moments, no matter how dangerous or emotional or painful… I don’t have any regrets.”

“Nor do I.”

“Because…” she continued, “I wanted to share those moments… with you. Even the painful ones. I wanted to share those. With you.”

Ichabod slowly sat up and pressed his fingers together. “The one constant of any burden that seemed… insurmountable… has always been the simple fact that you have been there. You made every pain bearable.”

“You’ve done the same for me.” Abbie exhaled, walked to side of the bed, then sat on the edge. “We’ve come so far from where all of this started.”

He looked down at her hand and wanted to take it in his. He let go of a little more fear and did so.

She looked at their hands then at him and smiled.

“Yes,” he said. “A long way from the beginning.”

She looked at their hands and rubbed her thumb across his knuckles. “Nothing about this was ever easy.”

“Not one bit.”

“But, after all that, I’m sitting here, talking to you, about feelings I’ve been having for you. For months.”

He looked at her, surprised. “Only months?”

“What?” she asked. “You want it to be longer?”

“It would make me feel better since I’ve been dealing with this for more than mere… months.”

She smiled and exhaled. “Fine. Fine! You always win, don’t you?”

“I do my best.”

She scoffed. She thought it over. “It’s been longer than that. It’s been a lot longer.”

He smiled. “That is a relief.”

She laughed, realizing what they were finally admitting to. “How did we get here?”

He laughed as well, “I was praying you had the answer.”

They kept laughing for a while.

Abbie stopped laughing but held her smile. She nodded, “I think I do.” She looked at him. “When someone’s been there, when they’ve been your strength when you feel like you don’t have any, when someone who is always that shoulder to cry on, when you’re out of reasons to go on… there’s always one more person to go on for. Eventually, that person becomes more than a friend, more than a best friend.”

“I don’t think I could’ve articulated that any better at all.”

She just stared at him, “Did you ever think this would happen?”

“When this all first began, of course not. It wasn’t a thought and, even when it was… I thought myself ridiculous for even considering it.”

“Why?”

“Because, despite all of my attempts to the contrary, I’m not a man who understands the world I woke up to, Leftenant,” he explained. “Not fully. I always imagine you would wish to have a love who was… more acclimated to the world around him, whose hand you didn’t have to hold through every step. Figuratively speaking, of course.”

“I don’t mind helping you, Crane,” she said. “Besides, I like being right and it’s funny to see you, of all people, get things wrong.”

He smiled.

“Plus… it’s… something about those eyes of yours. Those damn eyes. Make things that I do every day that you’re trying for this time look like something brand new. Even exciting.”

“I’m glad I can make you happy.”

“You do. In more ways than one.”

He smiled. The smile slowly faded. “But, it’s more than just my knowledge of the 21st Century or lack thereof. With all I have been through, all of which you’ve seen… it’s left me… broken in many ways. I am… quite damaged, Abbie.”

She raised an eyebrow, “And you think I’m not?”

He shook his head. “That doesn’t matter. Not to me.”

“And you think that… if I felt the same… if we _both_ felt this… your damage would matter to me? Like you said, I’ve seen what you’ve been through, seen it firsthand. Who else gets you but me?”

“A true statement.”

“And you know about my damage. All of it. I’ve loved. I’ve lost. I’ve had everything taken away. Except you.”

He smiled.

She thought about that. “Except you.”

“I’ll go through it all for you. Again and again.”

“I know. Did you want this to happen? You and me?”

“Yes.”

She was surprised to hear that answer so bluntly.

“I just… couldn’t bring myself to say anything to that end. It remained… a hope. Nothing more.”

“Fortune favors the bold,” she reminded.

“But good things come to those who wait,” he fired back.

She smiled. “Can I tell you the truth?”

“Absolutely.”

She exhaled and leaned closer, “I was… afraid. To ever say anything.”

“Jenny explained to me that may be your reason. And even still… it’s a surprise.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“Indeed. You don’t seem to be capable of fear stopping you from doing anything. Years of evidence points to the contrary.”

“Well, I was,” she admitted.

“Why?” he asked.

She exhaled. “Because you mean more to me than I ever wanted to admit. More to me than… than I even really realized. Until… Pandora’s box and now with Desdemona and whatever’s coming next. I wanted to do all I could… just to protect you.”

“I would, happily… gladly, do the same for you.”

“I know.” She exhaled. “I don’t want to be afraid anymore. I won’t be.” She took a firmer grip of his hand. “I’m not.” She stared into his eyes. “I love you, Ichabod Crane.”

“It would seem fear no longer has place within me, as well. I love you, Grace Abigail Mills.”

She tucked her lips in for a second and decided to take one last leap of faith.

She placed her hand his cheek.

He never broke her gaze. He took hold of her hand and kissed her palm.

She felt a wave of electricity shoot through her body when his lips hit her palm. She liked it. She wanted more of it. She leaned closer to him and pressed her lips to his.

It should’ve been awkward for a first kiss. They had gone from friends to allies to best friends and, now, they had crossed the line to lovers. And it felt like the most natural thing in the world.

They kissed harder, enjoying absolutely every second of this. After another minute of kissing, they separated.

“That was…” Abbie said with a smile.

“…Remarkable?” Ichabod asked.

“Pretty damn amazing is where I was going to start.”

“A welcome description, as well. Also accurate.”

She stroked his cheek with her thumb, “I’m glad we talked. I’m glad this happened.”

“As am I,” he whispered.

“Still ready to face demons with me?”

He placed his hand on her cheek, “Your demons, my demons. No matter the variety. I will face them with you. I will face them for you. I would face hell’s gates themselves for you.”

“You always did know how to sweet talk a girl.”

“I’ve sweet talked you?”

“Took everything I had not to jump you.” She shrugged, “More than once.”

He smiled. “I’ll have to keep that in mind.”

She looked him over. “I’m gonna kiss you again. I’m gonna kiss you a lot.”

“I can find no reason to stop you.”

“I didn’t think you would.”

* * *

Edom and Jenny stood by the door, leaning against the wall with Edom having his arms crossed and Jenny covering her mouth. They heard the entire conversation and had huge grins plastered on their faces.

“I’m seriously about to cry,” Jenny whispered.

“They’re happy,” Edom whispered back. “They…” He paused then started to frown. “They deserve it.”

Jenny looked up at him. “What’s wrong?”

Edom walked away from the door and sat down in a nearby chair, Jenny followed and sat next to him.

“Fear.” He stared at the wall. “Without fear.”

She looked at him, confused. “What do you mean?”

“The bravery of Abigail and Ichabod. To love one another despite all they have been through. That’s true courage, Jennifer. That’s bravery.” He looked at her, “I’ve lived in fear for a very long time.”

“I never would’ve guessed that.”

He scoffed. “I guess I’m good at hiding it.” He sighed. “Now that your sister is safe, other matters have returned to my mind.”

“Migron and Golan?” Jenny asked.

“Yes.”

“Can we help?”

“Perhaps,” Edom said. “I’m just not sure yet.”

“Well, now that those two are fixed,” Jenny pointed at Ichabod’s door, “we can worry about you.”

“No need to worry about me.”

She put her hand on his shoulder. “Yeah, there is. After all, that’s what family does.”

He smiled at her. “Family. Yes. You’re right.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what do you guys think so far? I keep forgetting to say it but, please, leave me some comments! Comments, kudos, all that good stuff! I love it!


	11. Chapter 10: The Next Journey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Abbie and Ichabod finally declaring their mutual love for each other, Edom prepares to take a journey with Jenny and Joe to track down Migron and Golan.

The following morning, Abbie walked back into Ichabod’s room with a breakfast tray but found him still asleep. She smiled and set the tray down on the table next to his bed. She gently traced his face with her fingers.

He moaned, quietly, then opened his eyes and looked at her. “Abbie.”

“Hey,” she replied.

He took hold of her hand. “You’re here.” He touched her face. “You’ve truly returned.” He settled his hand on her cheek.

She leaned into his hand, placing her hand on top of his. “Worried I wouldn’t?”

“Very.” He paused. “And… last night?”

“That happened, Crane. All of it. I love you and you love me. Now, we can say it out loud.”

He smiled. “Yes. A grand relief that is.”

A knock came to the door.

“Come in,” Abbie said.

Jenny, Joe, and Edom walked inside. They stopped and stared for a while in contemplative silence as they examined the tender moment shared between Ichabod and Abbie.

“What?” Abbie asked.

Jenny and Edom smiled and looked at Joe, who exhaled in defeat. He reached into his pocket, pulled out his wallet, and handed Jenny and Edom, each, a five dollar bill.

“Alright, alright!” Joe said. “You guys win.”

“Guys, what the hell are you doing?” Abbie asked.

“Joe bet us five dollars you weren’t a thing,” Jenny said.

“I attempted to warn him,” Edom said.

“No, you didn’t!” Joe argued. “You didn’t _say_ anything!”

“I tried to speak with my eyes!”

Joe threw his head back in defeat.

“Forgive me!” Edom chuckled, “Jenny told me not to tell you!”

Joe looked at Jenny, shocked.

“What?” Jenny asked. “You should’ve believed me. But, this is the easiest five bucks I’ve ever made.”

“That mean streak of yours is showing,” Joe said.

“It’s been dormant for a while.”

“Not long enough.”

“Before we have ourselves a lover’s spat,” Edom looked at Ichabod and Abbie, “aside from earning our winnings, we came to inform you that the doctor’s informed us that you will be released in a little while, Ichabod.”

“That is a relief.”

Abbie kissed Ichabod’s knuckles and looked into his eyes. “We get to go home.”

Ichabod looked at her. “Yes. Yes, we do.”

Joe stared at them, realizing how he should’ve seen this coming. “Wow. How did I miss that?”

“I’m sure a lot of people did,” Jenny said. “How, I don’t know, but they probably did.”

* * *

The next few hours seemed to pass in no time at all for the next thing Abbie and Ichabod knew they were walking back into their home courtesy of Jenny and Edom.

Jenny sighed. “Home sweet home.”

“Nothing like it,” Abbie said. She looked over at Ichabod, who stared lovingly at her.

“I think a celebratory dinner is in order,” Edom said. “I shall prepare a meal for us! Tomorrow evening, I say!”

Jenny shook her head at him, “Overdramatic.”

Edom smiled, “What’s life without a little flair?”

“Wait. Back up. You can cook, too?”

“But of course!”

“Sounds good,” Jenny said. “Can’t wait.” She looked at Abbie and Ichabod and how they stared at each other. She wondered if they heard anything that she and Edom had said. Jenny subtly got Edom’s attention and motioned toward the door.

Edom smiled and nodded. “Well. I’m sure we can find something to do. Elsewhere.”

“Yeah, seriously,” Jenny said. “There’s… tons we can do. Somewhere else.”

“Let’s go do those things.”

“Right.” Jenny looked at Abbie and Ichabod. “See you guys, later.”

“Bye,” Abbie waved, absentmindedly.

Jenny and Edom left.

Abbie walked up to Ichabod, who had his hands behind his back and a smile on his face.

“Hi,” Abbie said.

He smiled at her.

“Movie?”

“What shall we watch?”

“Does it matter?” She placed her hand behind his neck. “I won’t be watching.”

“As always, Leftenant, your ideas are amazing,” he agreed.

They leaned in and kissed each other.

* * *

That night, Edom was looking at his computer screen as he read up on recent thefts of ancient artifacts. He knew something was bigger going on if Golan had come to Sleepy Hollow. He asked Jennifer what he removed from the Box before he destroyed it but it wasn’t enough to go on. He exhaled. He needed to know what was happening.

“He takes a red stone from the Box,” Edom whispered to himself. “Then disappears.” He leaned back in his chair. “But why? And why leave everyone alive?” He interlocked his fingers. “What are you planning, Migron? And can I stop you before it’s too late?” He thought for a second then an idea came to him. “The _lemure_ , the Abyzou.” He placed his hand to his chin. “What if… what if Desdemona didn’t summon them?”

He found a few recent thefts where items were stolen with almost no evidence left behind or a reasonable explanation on how the thefts occurred. One of the first took place three days after the Box was destroyed was in Paris.

Edom stared at the screen. “Mmm.” He grabbed his cell phone and dialed Jenny’s number, “As a good place to start as any.”

He called Jenny and Joe and had them come over. He explained what he learned and how he would have to investigate what happened in Paris.

“That’s all that you found out?” Joe asked.

“I’ve had even less evidence to go on in the past,” Edom said. “And, somehow, I’m still right.”

“So, you’re leaving?” Jenny asked.

“Only for a little while. Not tonight but soon.”

“Who are they?” Joe asked. “Golan and the other guy?”

“Migron. They are the accursed. The fallen. The damned.”

Jenny nodded, “Okay. But who are they to you?”

Edom’s body froze. He exhaled, ruefully. “It’s… complicated, Jennifer.”

“How complicated?”

Edom slowly rubbed the front of his neck, “Very.”

Jenny looked at Joe and he looked back at her. They had a silent conversation before coming to the only logical conclusion.

Jenny nodded, “Okay. I understand. That settles it.” She looked at Edom, “We’re coming with you.”

Edom looked at Jenny in shock. “Excuse me?”

“She said, ‘we’re going,’” Joe said.

“Abigail and Ichabod will need you here.”

“And what about you need?” Jenny asked.

Edom smirked, “I have a home to come back to. And people who genuinely care about me _outside_ of my true nature and abilities. That’s more than I’ve had in quite some time, I can assure you.”

“And you need someone watching your back. We’re going with you.”

“Jennifer…”

“You spent the past few weeks watching over us and even took on a crazed demon queen for my sister. You think for a second I’m just gonna let you run off by yourself, you’re crazy.”

“We gotta stick together,” Joe said.

Edom sighed. “I won’t convince you not to do this, will I?”

“Nope,” Jenny and Joe said, simultaneously.

Edom started pacing. “This will be dangerous. I had hoped to keep you all out of this for now.”

“You know about me, right?” Jenny asked. “You _know_ me! If I’m not doing something dangerous or even stupid, then it’s not worth doing.”

“It’s so sad that I can say the same, now,” Joe said.

Edom chuckled. “Alright. Alright! That’s fair. I know we are having dinner with Abigail and Ichabod tomorrow.”

“We’ll tell ‘em then,” Jenny declared.

“So, what are we gonna _do_ about Abbie and Crane?” Joe asked.

“I’m sure they will do fine without us,” Edom said.

“There are folks who can watch their back while we’re gone.”

“Well, Ray’s been invaluable with his help thus far. And Agent Foster would be a grand aid. Daniel would be a good help, as well.”

Joe gave a mild shrug, “I was thinking of someone… a little closer to help out.”

Edom thought for a second who he could mean.

Jenny understood right away. She looked at Joe, “You aren’t thinking of…”

“Oh!” Edom said. “Ezra!”

“Not a chance!”

“Jenny…” Joe said, exasperated.

“Just because he’s part of some… ancient order to help Crane and Edom doesn’t mean he’s able to waltz all the way back in.”

“You trusted him before.”

Jenny stopped. “Yeah… but…”

“I understand your fear, Jennifer,” Edom said. “But, at the current moment, our list of trustworthy allies is at a premium. At least, with those we can place our complete trust.”

“But…”

“And, to drive this point home, he is your father. And he is trying, Jenny.”

Jenny groaned. “Alright, fine. We can call him.”

“Excellent!” Edom said.

“For angel, you cheat a lot.”

“Why do you think I’m still on Earth?”

The following day, Ichabod and Abbie knocked on Edom’s front door.

“It’s open,” he called out to them.

They walked in and saw no sign of Edom. They heard some noise coming from the back of the house.

“Ed?” Abbie called out.

“Back here,” Edom shouted. “The kitchen.”

They walked to the back and the closer they got, they heard music playing. They recognized the song as “Boogie Shoes” by KC & the Sunshine Band. They walked around the corner to see Edom, Jenny, and Joe cooking and dancing, horribly, but Abbie couldn’t help but notice Jenny and Joe looked like they were having the time of their lives.

Abbie almost cried. It had been a long time since she’d seen Jenny this happy.

“Abbie!” Jenny said. “Come on!”

“I am not!” Abbie protested.

“Oh, yeah, you are!” Jenny grabbed her wrist and pulled her into the kitchen. “C’mon, Abbs! Move those hips!”

Edom laughed as he danced and continued to cook.

Ichabod stared at them all and smiled at the happy scene he was witnessing.

Edom walked over to Ichabod, “A pleasure to see them happy?”

“A most welcome sight indeed,” Ichabod answered. “One query.”

“And what is that?”

“Do… all angels dance?” Ichabod smiled.

Edom laughed. “Only those with excellent rhythm. Which I have in abundance.”

They all sat down to dinner with Edom putting out an impressive spread.

“I don’t think I’ve had a Thanksgiving dinner this good,” Abbie said. “Where’d you learn to cook…” she thought about it. “…never mind.”

“To answer the question,” Edom smiled, “all over the planet with years of experience. To say the least.”

They continued to eat when Jenny smirked. “So, I really gotta ask you something, Abbie.”

Abbie looked up at her, saw the look in Jenny’s eyes and, warned, “You better choose your next words, carefully.”

Jenny just held her smirk. “How long have you had Crane on the brain?”

Edom and Joe laughed while Ichabod blushed, furiously.

“I’m gonna kill you, Jenny,” Abbie declared.

Jenny kept laughing, “No, you’re not. You’re too happy right now!”

Abbie tried not to smile but she couldn’t help it.

“While I thoroughly enjoy this atmosphere,” Ichabod said, “I must confess that I am curious as to our next course of action.”

Edom wiped his mouth. “Yes.” He put down the napkin and interlocked his fingers. “After mentioning the names of Golan and Migron, I’ve looked into thefts that have occurred recently that have no explanation or seem impossible.”

“And you found some?” Abbie asked.

“A couple. Some maybe expert thieves. Others…” Edom shook his head.

“And I bet this has something to do with the Call and the Summoning that Desdemona told you about?”

Edom nodded.

“And, I imagine, coupled with the name ‘Golan’, all this has caused you great concern,” Ichabod added.

Edom shrugged, “As you say. Those names are two I’d hoped to never hear again. ‘Tis a fool’s hope. I should’ve known better.”

“Maybe you’re human after all,” Joe said.

Edom smiled. “Perhaps. There are worse things to be, I suppose. Due to your recount of the events, I believe that Pandora and the Hidden One were performing a task for Migron.”

“But if the bald and the bitch were doing a favor for Migron, _he_ got shafted,” Jenny noted.

“Indeed. The Hidden One was never very trustworthy.” Edom paused. “Which begs the question why Migron would trust him in the first place.”

“Any ideas?”

“A few. Either the Hidden One had something that Migron needed, he knew something Migron did not…” Edom slowly perked up, “Or he knew where something was or how to get something Migron could not attain.”

“Did you just narrow our search down?” Joe asked.

“Significantly.”

“And you’re sure Desdemona wasn’t summoning the _lemure_ , the Abyzou, or the rest?” Abbie asked.

“Positive,” Edom answered. “The only demons she summoned were the Bound One and those accursed pests who protected her in her domain. Nothing more.”

“So… they just came here?” Joe asked.

Edom thought about that, “My theory is not intentionally. This Call may sending out a signal, in a way, that they are following. Like, wild animals following an instinct."

“For what?” Abbie asked.

Edom thought for a second. “That’s what I need to find out.”

Abbie started to get a little worried as she looked at Jenny, “And you’re going with him?”

Jenny smiled, “He’d be lost without me.”

“I beg your pardon!” Edom shouted, offended. “I’ll have all of you know I did just fine without any assistance for the better part of two centuries!”

“Uh-huh,” Jenny said.

“And you’re going, too?” Abbie asked Joe.

“Someone has to be able to tell you guys how much trouble they got in,” Joe answered.

Jenny rolled her eyes.

“I tried to make them stay,” Edom said.

“No, no,” Abbie said. “I think… that they should go. I want people we trust watching your back.”

Edom smiled then became somber. “But… before we go any further… I feel I must confess something to you all.”

“Who Migron and Golan are?” Ichabod asked.

Edom nodded. “Without boring you with all of the details, Migron was one of the chief angels who believed that humanity was not worth Christ’s sacrifice for their sins. He thought humanity was a sickness, a disease. That God had errored in ever creating humanity to begin with.” He paused. “To my regret and forever to my shame… I agreed with him.”

That revelation shocked everyone.

“I was wrong. I was a fool. I was seduced by humanity’s failures and ignored the failures and sins we were committing. I came to Earth but… I realized what we were doing was wrong. I fought against them. I returned to my Father, pleaded for forgiveness. He sent me back down to Earth to help protect it from my kin and those who would do harm.”

“That was your punishment?” Ichabod asked.

“No,” Edom replied. “My punishment is that I am to remain here until such time as I have earned my redemption.”

“And what will that take?” Abbie asked.

“The second I know, I’ll tell you.”

“Seems a little unfair.”

“After my betrayal and the fact that I wasn’t cast into the pit right away, I find it to be very fair.” Edom looked at all of them and sighed. “I apologize for not disclosing this sooner. I feared what would happen when you all learned the truth.” He took a deep breath. “But, I swear to you all, with everything within me, I am not that same fool. I have learned where I failed and I will never go down that road again.” He paused. “But… I understand if this changes your perception of me. In all fairness… I won’t blame you.”

They all sat in silence, staring at Edom. They thought about what he just confessed to, what he didn’t have to admit to, and they remembered their friend who helped them through all of their struggles lately.

Abbie decided to speak up to what they were thinking, “So… you joined them?”

“Yes.” Edom exhaled.

“So, you made a mistake. Big deal.”

Edom blinked.

“You haven’t made any since you got here,” Abbie said.

“Debatable.”

“Sir Edom,” Ichabod said, “since you came here, you’ve been a great aid to us all. From assisting in dealing with demons…” He took hold of Abbie’s hand, “to… helping us conquer our own personal fears.”

Edom chuckled.

“Even just getting us back in the game,” Abbie said.

“You made a mistake,” Jenny said. “I think everyone sitting here can relate.”

Edom nodded. “I just wish… I hadn’t.”

“Again, so does everyone at the table.”

“But you’re here now,” Ichabod said. “And, I believe I speak for everyone when I say, we are quite relieved to have you here.”

Edom saw all of them smile at him. He could tell: they truly weren’t judging him. They were grateful he was here. “I am the relieved one. Thank you all… for everything.”

A couple of hours later, Ezra arrived at Edom’s house. All of them sat in the living room while Edom explained their next course of action and, after hearing the explanation, Ezra sat back.

“Are you sure it’s them?” he asked. “That their behind this?”

“Your daughters and Ichabod saw Golan and that’s more than enough for me,” Edom said. “I, Jenny, and Joe will attempt to track their movements and uncover what they are up to.”

“What do you need from me?” Ezra asked.

“Abigail and Ichabod will need all the assistance they can gather while we’re gone,” Edom explained. “You, along with Deputy Merck and Agent Foster, will provide that.”

“Do they know about this?”

“Called them both earlier,” Abbie said. “They’re in.”

Ezra looked at her, “I’m more than happy to help. Whatever you need.”

“Splendid!” Edom smiled. “I believe that takes care of everything!” He pulled out his cell phone. “That just leaves the mattes of the travel arrangements.”

Ichabod looked at the table of dishes that were left behind. “I believe I’ll tidy up, a bit.”

“Leave those, Ichabod,” Edom said as he scrolled through his phone. “I’ll tend to them.”

“You’re attending to other matters. I’ll take care of the dishes.”

Abbie smiled. “I’ll give you a hand.”

Ichabod smiled, “That would be most welcome.”

“I’m not arguing with both of you,” Edom chuckled. “Do what you will.”

Ichabod and Abbie started taking dishes into the kitchen. After clearing the table, Abbie grabbed Ichabod by the shirt and kissed him.

“Oh, dear…” Ichabod breathed out.

“It was driving me crazy not to do that,” Abbie said.

“You didn’t need an excuse. I believe everyone knows about our feelings toward one another.”

“But do you want Jenny to watch us kiss?”

He thought about for a second then kissed her. They enjoyed that pleasure for another minute before the kitchen door opened. They broke the kiss to see Ezra standing there with a look of shock on his face.

“Oh!” Ichabod said. “Mr. Mills!”

“Uhh, hey, Dad,” Abbie said.

“What the hell is going on?” Ezra asked.

“Umm…” Abbie stopped. “Oh. We… we hadn’t told you yet, had we?”

Jenny walked to the door and looked at the scene. She looked at her sister, “He caught you two, didn’t he?”

“Indeed,” Ichabod said. He just then realized his arms were still around Abbie.

“What _is_ going on here?” Ezra asked.

“They finally figured they’re in love with each other,” Jenny said. “Only took forever.”

Ezra looked at Abbie and Ichabod. “And… are you sure that now is the best time for this?”

They all looked at him confused.

“Meaning what?” Abbie asked.

“I mean…” Ezra said then sighed. “I mean, there’s a lot going on.”

“Yeah. And?”

“Are you sure that… all of this is good for you? And with each other?”

Abbie’s face hardened. “What did you say?”

“Oh, damn,” Jenny whispered.

“Are you questioning me being in a relationship or me being in a relationship with Crane?”

Ichabod attempted to diffuse the situation. “Abbie, perhaps it’s best…”

“No,” Abbie interrupted. She glared at her father. “I want him to answer.”

Ezra thought about how best to answer that question. “I’m just saying that… relationships, in this life, are nearly impossible to maintain.”

Abbie began to seethe. “Like you and Mama, right?” She rushed passed him.

“Abbie…” Ezra followed her into the dining room, getting Joe’s attention as he sat in the living room. Edom was still on the phone but he heard them as well.

“Abbie!” Ezra said.

“What?!” Abbie stopped and turned around. Ichabod and Jenny walked into the dining room.

“I’m just pointing out how difficult this will be. You’re a Witness. So is Crane. He’s from the 1700s and things…”

“You don’t have any right to give me this speech,” Abbie interrupted. “You sure as hell don’t have any right to tell me who I can and can’t be with.”

Ezra put his hands up, “I’m just saying all you have to deal with already…”

“I know that!”

“We understand the risks, Mr. Mills,” Ichabod said. “Yes, we face insurmountable tasks but we already chose to face them together. We simply decided to alter how we stand together to face those tasks.”

Ezra ran his hand across his face. “Just… it’s so much to deal with. Not right now. Maybe when all this is over, you two can…”

“Ezra,” Edom said, calmly, but with authority, as he ended his last call. “Enough.”

Everyone looked at Edom as he, slowly, rose from his chair.

“I have no place to tell how to be a father but I will not allow you to let fear come between them.”

Ezra shook his head, “They just have so much…”

“I understand that. We all in this room have risks we take, every day. And we need to find a way to deal with it, every day.” Edom pointed at Ichabod and Abbie, “They have found theirs. No different than Jenny and Joe have. And, with all due respect, you will not dictate to them ways this could fail. They are adults, not children. They know the cost of what they have done. More to the point, they know the reward. I need you to help watch over them while we are away, but I will not do that if you insist on this foolish course. I greatly approve of them in so many ways, and your advice, misguided though well-intended, will not be tolerated. Leave them be, Ezra.”

Ezra took a deep breath. “I just… I know how it can go wrong.”

Edom nodded, “I understand. Truly. I know what happened to Lori. We both do. We _all_ do. But you cannot assume that same fate will befall Abbie or Jenny or any of us here. We live in a world of uncertainty. Perhaps more than anyone else living, all in this room know that.”

“You can say that again,” Jenny said.

“But all the rewards, I’m sure they can tell you, are worth the risk.”

“Indeed,” Ichabod said.

Edom looked at everyone, “We will experience fear. That’s… it’s a part of life. Even I, as an angel, feel fear, which is why this excursion is necessary. But in the brief time I’ve known all of you, I’ve learned one thing: fear cannot be allowed to hold you back from doing what you must do.” He looked at Ichabod and Abbie, “You two overcame it and are better for it. I must now do the same. In going after Golan and Migron, I will be doing the same.”

“But just like them, Ed,” Jenny spoke up, getting his attention, “you’re not alone. Not anymore.”

Edom smiled. “No. I’m not. None of us are. That is why I don’t want to fear to rule us. Fear is at its strongest when an individual is alone. And by ‘alone’, I mean when you are not sure who one can trust.” He looked at everyone. “We no longer have that problem.”

They all smiled, even Ezra smiled.

“Are we all in agreement with this?”

They all looked at each other nodded.

“Splendid,” Edom said. “Well… on to the next challenge, then.”

* * *

That following night, Jenny and Joe sat next to each other on the airplane as it prepared to take off from the JFK International Airport. Jenny looked out of the window of the plane and exhaled.

Joe noticed her focus and took hold of her hand, “You okay?”

She looked at him, “Yeah, yeah. Just… this might be a long trip. Who knows when we’ll be back.”

“But we’re coming back.”

“Yeah but…” she put on the smile she could, “we’re gonna miss Crane and Abbie on dates.”

He thought about that. “Damn it. We are. Oh, that’s just not fair!”

Edom walked to his chair across the aisle and sat down, “I doubt that it will be any less hilarious upon our return.”

Jenny shrugged in agreement, “Yeah, okay.”

“But if you would like to leave, I will not take any personal offense.”

“Not a chance,” Jenny said.

“We’re in this with you, Ed,” Joe said, “to the end.”

“Well, then…” Edom sat back, “let’s make this a pleasant end.”

Jenny looked back outside. “Here’s hoping.”

* * *

Abbie looked out of the window of the living room, staring at the night sky. She couldn’t help but feel worried about Jenny, Joe, and Edom. She knew there would be plenty to be done in Sleepy Hollow, but to know that members of her family were going out into the unknown was causing to her feel the emotion she hated more than any other: fear.

Ichabod walked up and put his hands on her shoulders. “Tell me what troubles you.”

She reached up and grabbed one of his hands and pulled his arms around her. “They’re out there. We’re here.” She shook her head, “I don’t know what’s going to happen.”

“I know you’re frightened. I feel the same way. But just remember what Edom said: we cannot let the fear rule us.”

She nodded, “I know.” She paused. “We’ll make it. Right?”

“Yes.”

She swallowed. “I don’t know if I meant them coming back or us with… this.”

“I know,” he admitted. “My answer remains the same for both.”

She leaned back. “Thank you, Crane.”

“It is my privilege to be by your side, Abbie.”


	12. Chapter 11: The War Goes On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Jenny, Joe, and Edom travelling the world, Ichabod and Abbie face a new threat in Sleepy Hollow, calling in Sophie and Ray to help them out.

**_One Week Later._ **

The bus pulled into the station in Sleepy Hollow just after 4 AM and the disheveled man got off and stumbled away from the station, in a daze. He came to an alley and bumped into a group of teenagers, one of whom shoved him back.

“Hey, watch it!” the teen shouted.

The man looked up and saw the teen smoking a cigarette.

“You’re not supposed to smoke those,” the man said. He grabbed his head and gritted his teeth.

The teens laughed.

“Get outta here, man,” another of the teens said.

“Those can kill you,” the man reached for the cigarette.

“Hey, back off!” the teen holding the cigarette said.

“Get rid of it!”

“HEY!” he shoved the man into some trash cans. “Watch it, man.”

“You…” the man growled. “You stupid…”

The bronze ring on his right middle finger began to gleam.

“MONSTERS!” He leapt up at them.

All that could be heard were screams.

* * *

Just after 7 AM, Ray arrived at the scene to see it cordoned off with yellow police tape. He saw one of the lieutenants standing there.

“Hey, Ray,” the lieutenant greeted.

“Morning, Trish,” Ray tucked his sunglasses into his shirt. “What do we got?”

“Slaughter.” Trish pointed at the bodies, “Four poor kids. Never had a chance. All dead, these three had their necks broken.”

“Why do I get the feeling there is more to this?”

“Because of the fourth kid.” She pointed to a wall. “He was forced through the wall. So far, it looks like one guy. Five sets of footprints. The victims and someone who walked off. We found a pair of shoes about a mile from here that match those of the guy who walked away.”

Ray looked at the damage then stared the direction that the man walked off. He could already tell; more trouble of the possible-demon variety was coming their way.

Trish saw his glare and started to worry, “What do you thinks going on, Ray?”

“To sum it up? A little bit of weirdness. And a hell of a lot of trouble.”

“Isn’t that the theme of Sleepy Hollow?”

“It damn well should be.”

* * *

Abbie woke up and smelled breakfast being cooked by Ichabod. She smiled. It carried even more weight to it now that they were a couple. She went downstairs and found him cooking, as he usually did. She walked up behind him and laced her arms around his core.

She placed a kiss on his back. “Good morning.”

“Good morning, my dear,” he greeted.

“How’d you sleep?” she asked as she started making coffee.

“Very well. You?”

She shrugged, “I’m still a little restless. Worried about Jenny and everyone.” She looked at him and smiled, “But… it’s easier to fall back asleep nowadays.”

He smiled at her. “For us both.”

They sat down and ate breakfast and, as they were finishing up, the doorbell rang and they looked at the door.

Abbie went to the door and found Ray standing there. “Hey, Ray!”

“Good morning, Abbie,” Ray said. “I’m sorry to bother you but we got something going on.”

“Don’t worry about it. It’s been a week, we’re due some trouble. Come on in.”

Ray walked in and saw Ichabod taking plates to the kitchen, “Morning, Mr. Crane.”

“Good morning, Raymond,” Ichabod greeted. “Breakfast? I believe we have a little left.”

“No, thank you. I’m guessing this is all Witness related.” Ray’s cell phone rang. He looked at it, pressed IGNORE, and shook his head.

“Is there a problem?”

“Nothing. It can wait. _This_ can’t.”

“What’s wrong?” Abbie asked.

“Early this morning, four teens were killed by one guy,” Ray explained. “He put one of them through a concrete wall and broke the necks of the other three.”

Abbie shook her head. “No way it’s that simple.”

“Same thing I was thinking.”

“Sounds as if there may be another responding to the Call,” Ichabod said.

“Our mystery man came into town by bus early this morning,” Ray said. “So far, I tracked him to a diner about a mile from the attack. He went in, ate, paid cash, and disappeared.”

“Any idea who he is?” Abbie asked.

“Just a description and the first name Raul. Bus driver said he got on in Falls Church, Virginia, sat in the back, and got off last night.”

“I’ll call Sophie,” Abbie said. “Maybe the security cameras in Falls Church got something.”

Ray started scrolling through his phone, “I’m gonna try to track this guy.”

“I shall accompany you, Raymond,” Ichabod volunteered.

“You sure? I mean, I can handle this on my own, Mr. Crane. Ya know, if you wanna… spend more time with Abbie.”

“I have ample time to spend with her. And I will not allow you to track down a possible demon-possessed man on your own. Not while I can assist.”

Ray smiled. “Thanks, Mr. Crane.”

Ichabod smiled. “I hope you know that you needn’t be so formal, Raymond. You may call me ‘Ichabod’ or ‘Crane’ if you prefer.”

Ray shrugged, “As long as you know that you can call me ‘Ray.’ If you want.”

“Of course. Ray.”

“Thanks. Ichabod.”

Ichabod smiled.

Abbie looked at them both and smiled, “What? Are you two best friends now?”

“Eh!” Ray shrugged, “Just bros.”

Ichabod looked at him, “Indeed. Bro.”

“I was so hoping he’d say that. That accent, it sounds awesome!”

* * *

Ichabod and Ray drove to a supermarket where it was reported that Raul had been seen. They went inside of the market and split up to find him. Ray walked around a corner of one aisle and found Raul gathering some chips and putting them in a shopping cart.

Ray took a breath and approached him, “Excuse me, sir?”

Raul looked at him.

Ray pointed to his badge. “Ray Merck, Sleepy Hollow Sheriff’s Department. I was wondering if you could help me. I’m investigating an attack that took place this morning where a few people were hurt.”

Raul went back looking at the food, “I don’t know anything about that.”

“You never know, sir. Sometimes, people see more than they think.”

“I didn’t.”

“Well, the attack left four innocent boys dead and…”

Raul turned to him, immediately, “Innocent?! Innocent! They were degenerates! Smoking! Out when and where they shouldn’t be! They deserved far worse than the death I gave them.”

“Are you confessing to murder, sir?” Ray asked.

“I am confessing to killing evil.”

“Four boys out at night and smoking is evil? It’s illegal, I’ll give you that, but not worth a death sentence.” Ray looked down at Raul’s right hand and narrowed his eyes when caught sight of a bronze ring that appeared to be designed as a bull head.

“It’s just a start of a descent into evil,” Raul proclaimed. “They deserved it.”

Ray looked back up to meet Raul’s eyes, “That’s not for you to decide.”

“I’m the only one can. Mine is a righteous mission.”

“Well, if God’s handing out orders, he’ll probably want to get a new spokesperson.” Ray pulled out his handcuffs. “You’re going to have to come with me, sir.”

“I will not.”

“Sorry but you don’t have a choice.”

Ray approached him but Raul grabbed his wrist. Ray tried to pull away but couldn’t. He’d never felt anyone so strong. Raul thrust his hand into Ray’s chest, sending him flying down the aisle and crashing into the shelves. Ray started to get up to see that Raul was already gone.

“Raymond!” Ichabod shouted from the other end of the aisle. He ran over and knelt down to check on him.

“I’m fine, I’m fine!” Ray started to sit up.

“Are you certain?”

“No,” Ray said, painfully. “But… at least, I got a good look at who were dealing with.”

“Indeed,” Ichabod agreed. “Now, we just need to know _what_ we are dealing with.”

* * *

Later in the Archives, Abbie met up with Ichabod and Ray, who explained their run-in with Raul and the subsequent attack. Ray sat with an ice pack pressed to his neck as they finished the report.

Abbie shook her head. “He could’ve killed you, Ray.”

“Oh, please,” Ray said, waving off her concern. “My cousin and I once went through the wall of my aunt’s old trailer from wrestling. We were, and still are, big fans of the Undertaker and Kane from the WWE. Trust me. This is nothing.”

Abbie smirked, “I always liked Ric Flair.”

Ray scoffed. “Who doesn’t?”

“Despite Raymond’s risky approach,” Ichabod said, “it did provide some insight to the attacker. He seems to believe in a justice of some sort.”

Ray scratched his head for a second. “Hey, I don’t mean to be ‘that guy’ but… didn’t we just deal with something like that?”

“Yes but this one doesn’t seem to be quite as… demonic in nature as the _lemure_.”

Ray shrugged, “If you say so.” His cell phone rang. He pulled out of his pocket and groaned.

“What’s wrong?” Abbie asked.

“Cecelia.” Ray set the ice pack down, got up, and answered his phone. “Hey, babe.” He went into the corridor.

“Not the reaction one would expect when hearing from their significant other,” Ichabod said.

“You think we won’t have moments like that?” Abbie asked.

“I pray they will be few and far between.”

“Same here. But you know us. They’re gonna happen.”

Sophie walked into the Archive from the main door, holding a folder. “Hey!”

“Good evening, Agent Foster,” Ichabod said.

“Hey, Sophie,” Abbie greeted.

“So, I got information on your guy.” Sophie set the folder on the table and opened it up, “Name’s Raul Diego. He’s a professor of history in New Mexico.”

“Long way from home.”

“Yeah. He was teaching his class about, get ready for this, ancient Greece. His lesson two weeks ago? Greek combat.”

Ichabod breathed out, “Curiouser and curiouser.”

“He got ahold of some relic from the time period and his behavior started getting erratic,” Sophie continued. “He started going on and on about evil that it needed to be destroyed.”

“He could go anywhere and do that,” Abbie said. She thought about it, “But with him in Sleepy Hollow…”

“There will be no shortage of evil for him to locate,” Ichabod said. “In fact, Lord only knows what ones he could be drawn to even as we speak.”

Ray walked back in and exhaled, ruefully.

“Everything okay?” Abbie asked.

Ray looked at her, “Uh, yeah, yeah. Fine.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah. What do we got?”

“This is your guy, right?” Sophie asked him as she pointed at the photograph.

Ray looked at the picture. “Yep. So, now what?”

“ _We’ll_ find him,” Abbie said. “Go home, Ray.”

“And let him get away with sucker-shoving me?” Ray chuckled, “I don’t think so.”

Sophie stared at Ray then looked at Ichabod and Abbie, “Do you guys just attract people as crazy as you?”

“Said the woman who brought us the file,” Abbie retorted. “And, if I can guess, is probably going with us.”

Sophie looked around, awkwardly.

“Face it: everyone who knows about our insanity gets dragged into it, sooner or later. Both of you are living proof.”

“Yep,” Ray and Sophie said at the same time.

“The ‘living’ part is what I hope continues,” Sophie added.

Ichabod turned one more page of his book. “Ah!” He turned the book to Ray, “Is this the ring you saw?”

Ray looked over at the book page. It was a picture of a bronze ring shaped like bull with a ring through its nose, representing the Minotaur. “That’s the one.”

Ichabod turned the book back around, “The Ring of Bellerophon.”

“Bless you,” Abbie joked.

Ichabod stared at her.

She smiled back.

His scowl slowly turned into a smile, as well.

“Oh, my God, you guys _are_ a couple!” Sophie said. “Damn. I owe Jenny twenty dollars.”

“Did everyone bet on this?!” Abbie asked.

Ray shrugged, “Well, kinda. Honestly, at first, I thought you two were already dating. Jenny bet me you’d guys would be a couple before the year was out. Still don’t know why I took that bet.”

“I’m actually gonna kill her.”

“Can you do it before I have to pay up?”

“We’re horribly off topic,” Ichabod said. He went back to the book, “Bellerophon was ancient Greek hero.”

“Is there any record of him having a minotaur ring?” Abbie asked.

“Only small legend. Hardly in any texts and, according to this, the ring wasn’t his. He wore it once, giving him greater strength, but leaving his mind dangerously bewildered.”

“Any of this starting to sound familiar?”

“We have to remove the ring from Mr. Diego, else the effects on his mind could be far more detrimental,” Ichabod advised.

Ray sighed. “Ichabod, what about the four kids he killed? We can’t just let the slide, ring or not.”

Ichabod stopped and stared at Ray, “Tragically, he may very well remember doing that. The ring seems to lower inhibitions and plant suggestions, not take away one’s free will entirely.”

“Like a bad drug addiction,” Abbie said.

“Yes. We must find Mr. Diego first, the wheels of justice will turn as they need afterward.”

Ray’s phone rang again and he groaned. He saw the number and said, relieved, “Oh.” He answered, “Yeah, Trish?” He was quiet for a second. “Okay, got it. No, I’m with Abbie Mills. We’ll take care of it. Thanks.” He hung up and looked at the others, “There was a sighting of our Mr. Raul Diego. He was seen the edge of town, just passed a gas station on the west side. Looked like he was heading toward the quarry out that way.”

Abbie’s eyes grew wide. “Wait. What if it’s not just evil he’s after? What if it’s _any_ supernatural creature?”

“Possible,” Ichabod said.

“Wouldn’t that include Gate? I mean, he stays out of the city where no one can find him. Unless they’re looking for him.”

Ichabod, Ray, and Sophie looked at each in shock.

“Let’s go,” Abbie ordered.

They left immediately, heading toward the edge of town. Abbie, Ichabod, and Ray were in Abbie’s truck while Sophie followed in her own vehicle, to provide back up for whatever was needed. As they drove, Abbie glanced in the back seat to see Ray ignoring one of his calls again.

“Are you gonna make me ask you what’s going on?” she asked.

“It’s nothing to worry about,” Ray said.

“Please, Ray,” Ichabod said. “If there’s something we can assist with, we’d like to.”

Ray exhaled. “That’s just it. It’s nothing you can guys can do. It’s Cecelia. She’s mad at me. Says I’m working too much.”

Abbie looked back at him then back at the road. “Why didn’t you tell us that?”

“What? You think it’s _just_ what I do to help you guys? It’s not. She’s been saying that for months.”

“And in the past few months, you’ve helped us out. A lot.”

Ray rolled his eyes, “Yeah, okay. Fine. But what good would telling you do? I mean, what was I supposed to say? ‘Sorry, Abbie. I can’t help you guys track down that college professor who murdered four boys. I have to go shopping with my girlfriend. As you can clearly tell, _that’s_ way more important.’”

Abbie stared at Ray through the rear view mirror, indignantly.

“Hey! You said I could help. And I want to help.”

“Not if the cost could possibly be something close to your heart,” Ichabod said.

Ray stared at them for a few seconds. “And what has this life cost the two of you?”

Ichabod and Abbie looked at each other, surprised, as they didn’t have an immediate answer for that question.

“We’re not talking about us,” Abbie retorted.

“But we’re talking about cost.” Ray looked at Ichabod, “I know about you waking up in a new century, and the stuff with that Katrina woman, who sounded like a bitch, by the way.” He looked at Abbie, “I know about your mom, Abbie, and what your sister’s been through. And right now, that same sister and your childhood friend are off circling the planet with an actual angel from Heaven. And we’re hunting down a man with a Greek ring that turns him into Captain America on a bender. Or at least the Winter Soldier.” He looked back outside. “I think I can handle a pissed off girlfriend.”

“I just don’t want this to be reason anything happens between you and her.”

“If this is the reason, then this is reason. If it’s meant to be, it will be. Long story short, but probably too late for that, I’m not going anywhere. I’m in. Team Witness all the way.”

Ichabod turned and looked at Ray, “I’m not sure what we did to deserve such a loyal companion.”

“You’re both good people,” Ray replied. “You’ve probably been a help for more people than you realize. It’s about damn time someone returned the favor.”

They came to stop about a half a mile from the quarry and parked the cars on the side of the road. The four of them gathered behind Abbie’s truck to discuss their plan.

“We need to devise a way to remove the ring from Mr. Diego,” Ichabod said.

“I’ll get his attention,” Ray said. “We’ve built up a lovely friendship.”

“Getting close to him will be a problem,” Sophie pointed out.

“Well, if it looks like he’s about to kill me, can someone, at least, shoot him? Like in the arm or something?”

“We’ll make it work,” Abbie said.

They started walking toward the quarry when Ray took notice of Ichabod’s pistol. Ray stopped and bent down to remove his backup revolver strapped to his ankle.

Ray caught up with Ichabod and presented it to him, “Here ya go.”

Ichabod looked at the revolver, curiously.

“Hey, I appreciate a flintlock gun as much as the next history buff but… just in case.”

Ichabod smiled and took hold of it; as it was small enough, he tucked into his front right pocket.

When they were near the entrance to the quarry, Sophie took to one of the mounds of dirt to keep an eye on things while Ichabod, Abbie, and Ray trekked into the quarry until they came across Raul standing in the middle of a clearing. When they saw him, they ducked behind some of the concrete slabs closest to him.

“Come out, monster!” Raul shouted. “I know you’re there!”

“Sounds like he’s trying to get someone’s attention,” Abbie observed, whispering.

“My fear is that he will succeed,” Ichabod whispered back.

They heard heavy thumping of footsteps nearby.

“That… doesn’t sound like Gate,” Ray pointed out.

“No but I wish he was here,” Abbie said.

Soon, a large demon walked into the clearing, standing nearly eight-feet tall with dark red skin, black horns, talons for fingers, and wearing black robes.

“Who are you to summon me, human?” the demon growled. “I, the mighty Praxion, the blight!”

“You don’t belong here,” Raul said in a struggling tone. “You-you’re a monster. This is not the world you belong in!”

Praxion laughed, “You humans are so pathetic. Of course, I am a monster. The time for monsters to rule your world is well at hand. Soon, you humans will be no more. The Call has begun! The Summoning is at hand!”

“The time is never coming! The Call will be stopped! I won’t allow it!”

“Everybody caught that, right?” Abbie asked.

“We need Mr. Diego alive,” Ichabod said.

“Right,” Ray said. “No problem. Oh. Except for this one thing. That _giant bastard standing in front of him!_ ” he hissed out.

“That does pose an immediate problem.”

“You guys wouldn’t to have brought a way to magically kill it, did you?”

Abbie and Ichabod looked at each other, worriedly.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought.” Ray sighed. “I got this.”

“Ray?” Abbie asked.

“Just grab Raul and get that damn ring off of him. I got this.” Ray walked out of their hiding spot.

“Ray!” Abbie whispered, harshly, then gritted through her teeth. “ _Ray!_ ” She rolled her eyes.

“We did mention others acquiring our insanity,” Ichabod said.

Ray drew his pistol and held in front of him and shouted at Raul and Praxion, “Hold it!”

They both looked at him.

Ray swallowed. “Uh… evening, guys. Would, uh… well, would you mind, um… coming along quietly?”

“You,” Raul said, shaking his head in pain. “I… I saw you before.”

“Yeah, you did.” Ray looked at Praxion. “Well, you’re… big. I doubt handcuffs will work on you.”

“I don’t fall under your authority, human,” Praxion said.

“You know? Funny. I kinda thought you would say something like that.”

“Leave now!” Raul shouted. “He’s my quarry!”

Ray smiled. “Ha! I get it! Because we’re in a… that’s good! That’s good!”

“Leave, fool!”

“Well, that was plain rude. I guess my only retort would be…” Ray immediately raised his gun and fired four shots in Praxion’s chest.

Praxion took a step back from the impact but stared death at Ray.

Ray stared at him, blankly. “Oh, crap.”

Praxion ran at Ray and swung at him but Ray ducked out of the crawled under his feet before he took off running. Out of nowhere, Raul tackled the demon, stopping him from chasing Ray.

“Annoying pests!” Praxion grabbed Raul by the arm and snapped it back, causing Raul to scream. He lifted Raul up. “It’s been a while since I’ve crushed a human’s rib cage. Let me see what that looks like.”

Suddenly, a series of bullets hit the arm Praxion was holding Raul with.

Praxion looked and saw that Ichabod and Abbie were the culprits. He tossed Raul aside, sending him into other concrete slabs and knocking him out. “Oh, humans came out in droves to feed me, tonight. How wonderful.”

“We really should’ve had a better idea,” Abbie said.

Bright lights appeared behind Praxion and he turned to see a large cement truck being driven by Sophie hurtling toward him. It smashed into Praxion and Sophie floored the gas pedal. Abbie tackled Ichabod and they rolled along the ground while the truck kept pushing Praxion. They stopped rolling with Abbie on top of Ichabod. Sophie jumped out of the truck as it crashed Praxion into more stone slabs. Sophie was breathing hard as she looked at the crashed truck and exhaled, bowing her head.

Ray ran over to Sophie and helped her up, “You alright?”

“Yeah,” Sophie breathed out.

“Nice shot.”

“I thought so.”

Abbie and Ichabod looked and saw the truck and got their breath back with Abbie laying her head on Ichabod’s chest.

“Does every call have to be that close?” Abbie asked.

“I was beginning to wonder the same thing,” Ichabod answered.

She pushed herself and realized she was straddling him with her legs on either side of his waist.

“Well…” Ichabod cleared his throat. “This… is… interesting.”

“Yeah.” She smiled. She got a curious look on her face when she felt something press against her inner thigh. “Didn’t… you drop Ray’s gun and yours?”

“I did.”

She paused. “Oh.” She looked down then back at him. “Well, damn.”

Ichabod cleared his throat. “Uh… yes, well…”

The sound of metal scraping echoed through the quarry and they all looked to see the track was starting to move. Praxion began pushing the truck away until he could step out from behind it.

“Well, I’m out of ideas,” Sophie said, regrettably.

“Good effort, though,” Ray shrugged.

“Stupid humans,” Praxion growled. “I will rip you all asund…”

He was interrupted when Gate appeared out of, seemingly, nowhere and crashed into him, knocking him to the ground.

“HAHA!” Ray shouted. “That’s my dog! GET ‘IM, GATE!”

Gate pounced on Praxion and they struggled against each other for a few minutes with Gate pinning of Praxion’s arms and biting his neck. Praxion yelled in pain as he tried to fight back. Gate bit down harder and jerked his head up, ripping out part of Praxion’s neck and killing the demon.

Gate sniffed Praxion to confirm he was dead then howled into the night’s sky in victory.

Abbie, Ichabod, Sophie, and Ray walked over to Gate as he wiped off the demon’s blood off in the dirt to make himself more presentable.

Abbie hugged Gate’s neck. “I’ve never been so happy to see you, Gate. Thanks.”

Gate moaned while he wagged his tail, happily.

“Very well done, Gate,” Ichabod said. “We must remember to implore on these missions before we venture out.”

Gate barked once, happily.

“I wish you could tell us how you found us,” Ray said.

Gate sniffed around the air then aimed his nose at each of them then at Praxion’s body.

“You followed all our scents?”

Gate nodded.

“Do me a favor? Make a frequent habit of that.”

Gate barked once in agreement.

* * *

They took Raul Diego into custody but called an ambulance for him first to treat his wounds, deciding to interrogate him once he was released from the hospital. Ray took the Ring of Bellerophon and placed it in the evidence of lockup of the Sheriff’s Department until they could decide what to do with it.

It was well after 11 that night when Ray walked into his apartment, groaning as he did so. He plopped down in his easy chair and exhaled. He scratched his forehead, “What a night.” He looked around. “Cecelia?” He got up. “You here, baby?” He walked into the bedroom, “Cece…”

He stopped when found a white envelope on the pillow of the bed. He picked it up, opened it, and read the letter inside. After reading it, he sat down on bed. He looked and noticed that the clothes she had in his closet were gone. His eyes then fell to the spare key he gave her sitting on his dresser.

Ray exhaled and ran his hand across his face. “A cost. Got that right.”

* * *

Later that night, Abbie walked into the bedroom and Ichabod inspecting a few scrapes he received earlier. He looked at her and smiled. “How sad it is to say that we’ve had far worse days than this?”

She grinned. “At least, we lived through them.”

“All too true.”

She stood by the edge of the bed and bit her lip.

He looked up, concerned. “Is something wrong?”

“No.” She took a deep breath and exhaled. She found herself fidgeting with her fingers; she wasn’t used to that.

Ichabod started to worry. “Leftenant?”

“Sorry. Just…” She stared at him then in a quiet, still voice, declared, “I wanna make love to you.”

Ichabod stared at her blankly as he tried to speak. He wasn’t even sure if he heard her correctly or this was a dream he was having. A good dream but a dream nonetheless.

She smirked, “All this time and I’ve finally put you at a loss for words.”

He blinked, realizing how long he’d been lost in thought. “Abbie, I…” He cleared his throat, “Forgive me. I was… caught unawares.”

“I know. I sprung it on you, and I’m sorry but… I’m _not_ sorry. It’s how I feel.”

“I would never wish for you to conceal your feelings from me.”

“Back at you,” she said.

“But… may I ask why you feel this way?” he asked.

She smiled. Even with her admission, he refused to be a typical man and take advantage; instead, he wanted to understand her more. It made her want him more. She sat down next to him. “What have we been through the past few months? New friends, more danger, but the biggest change…” she looked at him, “is us.”

“It is indeed.”

“I love you, Crane. It took me a long time to finally accept it and even longer to do something about it. We keep putting off milestones in our lives, changes we could make for the better, because we’re Witnesses but… we’re not promised tomorrow.” She placed her hand on his leg. “And I want to feel you. All of you. I want you. I want to be connected with you. You had my heart a while ago. I always keep my mind’s attention. The only thing left is the body.”

“Abbie…”

“I want to love you, in every way. I don’t want to hold back anymore. I don’t want… wait for a crisis to pass and see if we even survive it to think about the future. We’re in the storm but I’m looking for it to break. I’m looking for the sun but I’m not waiting on it.” She shrugged, “The only reason I can deal with all of this, in the first place, is because of you. The man that I love.”

His heart felt lighter than it had in a very long time. “I had no idea you could be so poetic.”

She giggled. “You inspire me.”

He stared into her eyes. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. But we don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.”

“I very much want to,” he said, swiftly.

She laughed. “You answered that fast.”

“To use current vernacular, you’re… sexy.”

“Stick to _your_ vernacular. It’s sexier.”

“I do my best.”

She got a sultry look in her eyes. “So, try it now.”

He mirrored the look in her eyes. “Tread lightly, Leftenant. I have been known to be extremely persuasive when I’m trying.”

“I’m hearing a lot of talking and not seeing any walking.”

He softly kissed her lips then her cheek then kissed her neck. “Let me love you, completely, Abbie,” he whispered as he kissed her. “Let me be all you need me to be, all you want me to be. Let me be your love in every way. Let me be your every desire.”

Abbie could barely catch her breath. “Now…” She exhaled, “th-that’s more like it…”

* * *

**_Vienna,_** **_Austria._**

In a museum, Edom, Jenny, and Joe were tracking one the latest thefts in the possible string committed by Golan. While having a look around, Edom ran across a painting of Jesus being crucified on the cross. He stared at it for a long time, completely lost in memories and emotions.

Jenny walked up to Edom and gazed at the painting. “Remembering home?”

“Remembering my failures,” Edom answered. “He entrusted us with the mission to watch over His people. We were to do so as the unseen, as the spirits. I allowed myself to fall prey to lies and deceit and, such, I am here. I was supposed to follow my Lord and trust His commands and protect people. I failed at that many times over, Jennifer. I have no excuse for it.”

She looked at him, “That’s why you’re doing this. To make it right.”

“Nothing will make it right. I’m simply trying to make amends. To know in my heart, I’m worth something.”

Jenny placed her hand on Edom’s back and rubbed it. “I could’ve told you that.”

He looked at her and smiled.

Joe walked up, “Hey. I think I found something.”

Joe led them to another part of the museum and they located a stone tablet inside a glass case. Edom examined it, intently. It was a large black stone, about four feet long, that depicted several figures doing battle against a large monstrous figure.

“Creepy,” Joe said.

Edom read the police report of what was stolen. “The dagger they stole from here matches the one inscribed.” He pointed at the tablet to a figure holding a dagger. “Here. The dagger and this tablet have similar markings.”

“Crane came back from Scotland with something like that,” Jenny said.

“Not surprising,” Edom said. “Paper fades. Etch something in stone, it tends to last much longer.”

Joe folded his arms, “If they stole the knife, why would they leave this here?”

“This is a replica.”

“So, where’s the real thing?” Jenny asked.

Edom looked closer and read the engraving, “‘A Replica From Wales.’”

“Is that where we’re heading next?” Joe asked.

Edom pulled out his cell phone. “I’ll call to make sure the plane is fueled up.”

“Think we’re closing in on Golan?” Jenny asked.

“That or we’re one step closer to finding out what they are looking for. Either way, it’s progress.” He pressed his phone to his ear.

Jenny and Joe looked back at the stone slab. “How do you think they’re doing?” Joe asked her. “Abbie and Crane?”

Jenny smiled. “Abbie’s happy. Crane’s happy. They’re happy with each other. I bet their just fine.”


	13. Chapter 12: Tracker Nights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jenny, Joe, and Edom make progress in their investigation, getting help from the most unlikeliest source: a demon.

** Sleepy Hollow The Fated Ones  **

Jenny looked at the clouds as they passed under the plane. Her thoughts shifted to Abbie and Ichabod. Something told her that they were doing fine, but, even though it had only been a week, she was already starting to miss them.

Joe walked up to her and sat next to her, carrying bottles of water. He handed one to her.

“Thanks,” she replied.

“Thinking about them?” he asked.

“Yep.”

“Me, too.”

Edom walked in and sat down across from them, “We know more than we did before. Our return to Sleepy Hollow is close at hand.”

Jenny sighed and sat back, “So, another stone tablet with markings on it depicting the end of the world. How many of those could be floating about?”

“45, at my last count.”

Jenny and Joe looked at him, stunned.

“I can’t tell if you’re kidding,” Joe said.

“Unfortunately, I’m not,” Edom said. “The end of the world is the focus of many a monster; demon, man, or otherwise.”

“‘Otherwise’?” Jenny asked.

“Long story. The pressing matter is to stop the _current_ ‘end of the world’ prophecy. The others will be dealt with in time.”

“I thought we only have to deal with this stuff for seven years for the Witnesses?” Joe asked.

Edom smiled. “I never said those other prophecies were solely, our responsibility.”

Jenny and Joe looked at him.

“You don’t need to worry. The duty of the Witnesses is only for the seven years. There will always be those who wish to do harm or bring about the end of the world. However, there will always be those who will stand against them.”

“If you’re one of them, I feel safer,” Joe said.

“As long as I am able to be, I will be,” Edom declared.

* * *

**_Sleepy Hollow._ **

Abbie slowly opened her eyes, still very much exhausted. She rolled over and looked at her clock. 9:13 AM. She blinked in surprise. She never slept this late anymore. She’d never felt this comfortable either. Nor this safe.

She’d woken up from nights of passion before but never this relaxed. And never a night of passion and love like she just had with Ichabod. She smiled all over again just thinking about it.

She leaned over and found him still sound asleep. He wasn’t even snoring. She moved over and kissed his cheek.

“I love you,” she whispered.

He slowly opened his eyes and looked at her, “I love you.”

“Can we stay in today?”

“Anything you desire, my love.”

* * *

At the Sheriff’s Office, Ray was sitting at his desk, sipping his coffee and typing his reports, when Sophie walked in.

“Hey, Deputy,” Sophie said when she was close.

Ray looked up, “Oh, Agent Foster. Good morning. What brings you down here?”

“I wanted to know if you had that ring.”

“Sure. It’s right in evidence. Come on.”

They headed toward the evidence storage.

“What’s going on?” Ray asked.

“I’ve been looking up the ring,” Sophie said. “It’s got a lot of names and is rumored to be part of an ancient prophecy.”

“Oh, yeah. That sounds like fun.”

They walked into the evidence room, Ray located the ring, and they placed it on a nearby table.

“Every time I look at this thing, I get uneasy,” Ray said.

“I don’t blame you,” Sophie agreed.

“So, why’d you need to see it?”

“There are certain markings that thing is supposed to have,” Sophie pulled out a piece of paper from her pocket. “Something written in Greek on the inside of it.”

They looked inside of the bronze ring and bared something scribbled inside of it.

Ray stared at engraving and said, “For the record, I’m sorry for this but you made me do it: it looks like Greek to me.”

Sophie looked at him and smirked, “Are you always a jokester?”

“Me and my cousin loved wrestling and cartoons growing up and we still watch both. You tell me.”

Sophie shook her head. “It means ‘The Nightmare Comes’.”

“Lovely.” Ray stared at it, leaning over to get a closer look. He suddenly felt himself getting a little disoriented the longer he looked at it. He stood up straight and wiped his eyes.

“You okay?” she asked, nervously.

“Yeah, yeah.” He shook his head. “Mm! Don’t know where that came from. I think I didn’t get enough sleep after everything last night.”

“I don’t think Abbie did, either. I tried calling her all morning and she hasn’t called back.”

“Just a crazy night for all of us.”

“Yeah.” Sophie looked back at the ring. “Maybe one of us should put it on.”

“Maybe,” Ray said.

Sophie started to reach for it when Ray stopped her hand.

“But maybe not. We saw what it did to Raul.”

Sophie nodded. “Yeah, yeah. I’d really rather talk to him first to see what he saw.”

“I checked,” Ray replied. “He’s still unconscious in the hospital.”

“We need another angle.”

“We’ll get one.” Ray started to put the ring away, “Edom is still out there with Jenny and Joe. Once they learn something, we’ll get this whole mess dealt with, have some drinks, and get ready for whatever next crazy witnessing thing happens.”

“You’re an optimist.”

“With things the way they are, I just feel the need to hope for the best.”

“Nothing wrong with that.”

* * *

Later that evening, Edom, Jenny and Joe were in Cardiff, Wales at the National History Museum. They walked into the came to the display with the Noswaith Tablet, the same stone tablet they saw in Vienna.

“Well, there it is,” Jenny said.

“Yep,” Edom said, flatly.

“How do we get it out of here?”

“We won’t.”

Jenny and Joe looked at him and Joe asked, “Why not?”

“Because this isn’t the real one, either,” Edom answered. “It’s made of a marble. Fine material, but it’s not the original.”

Jenny put her hands on her hips. “Great. That’s just great. We wasted our time coming here. What now?!”

Edom smiled. “I wouldn’t say we wasted our time.”

“Why not?” Joe asked.

“And why are you smiling?” Jenny asked.

“Because I believe I have a way to find the original,” Edom answered.

“How?”

“We ask the kind gentleman who’s been watching us from the moment we walked inside the museum.”

The trio turned to see a man wearing a three piece suit standing behind them.

“Greetings,” Edom acknowledged.

The man walked up and nodded to them, “Greetings, Lord Edom. It is honor be in the presence of an archangel.”

Jenny and Joe tried and failed to hide their surprise at hearing that but Edom kept his face indifferent.

“I see that are interested in the Noswaith Tablet, yes?”

“We are,” Edom said. “What can you tell us about it? And I mean, besides the fact that I am only just now realizing it is not known as the ‘Noswaith Tablet’ by… certain groups.”

The man smiled. “You are correct, good sir.”

“I thought so. Instead of information on it, let us begin with your name, if you would be so kind.”

“Oh, certainly! Forgive my rudeness. Madoc Bevan. At your service.”

“Well, then, Mr. Bevan, what service do you offer?” Edom asked.

“I represent a man who looks to have a word with you, Lord Edom.” Bevan looked at Jenny and Joe, “And Ms. Mills and Mr. Corbin, as well.”

At that, Jenny and Joe couldn’t hide any shock at all.

Edom remained neutral. “Very well, Mr. Bevan.”

Bevan bowed, “If you’ll please, come with me.” He headed toward the exit.

Edom followed after him with Jenny and Joe, closely, in tow.

“Uh, Ed?” Jenny asked.

“Stay alert,” Edom said. “But stay calm. I’ll protect you both. You have my word.”

“What about you?”

“On our list of concerns, I am the last item.”

They walked outside and got into a limousine that was waiting for them. Bevan got in first and the trio followed suit. They rode around the city for an hour before the car came to a stop. Bevan exited first then beckoned the group to follow after him. They were downtown in Cardiff and walked down a set of stairs to the basement level of a series of buildings. Bevan knocked three times on a metal door. The view slide of the door opened, the doorman looked at Bevan, slid the cover back, and opened the door, allowing the four to enter.

Edom, Jenny, and Joe found themselves in an underground bar that bared the resemblance of an American-style bar during the Prohibition Era. What grabbed their attention immediately was that, aside from Jenny, Joe, and Bevan, none of the occupants were human. Everyone had human appearances but with notable differences either by their eyes, hair, or skin distortions.

Edom kept his head on a swivel as he knew that they were in lion’s den now. Bevan lead them to a private room in the back that had a long dinner table and several dining chairs. At the head of the table sat another man wearing a dark green suit with dark green, scaly skin and yellow, dimly-glowing eyes. He had a long, pointed nose and medium-length black hair.

Edom looked at him and narrowed his eyes. “Well, well, well. Small world, Glyn.”

Glyn smiled, “Indeed, Lord Edom. Please have a seat.”

They all sat down with Bevan standing at the door.

“Thank you, Madoc,” Glyn said to Bevan. “I need to speak with these kind people alone.”

“Of course, sir,” Bevan bowed and exited, closing the door behind him.

“Jenny, Joe,” Edom said. “Allow me to introduce Barrister Glyn. An advocate for the criminal scum of the underworld. Be it on this plane of existence or any other that will meet his price.”

“Such disdain!” Glyn said, feigning offense. “I am merely a kind, humble lawyer.”

“No offense but even I have to call b.s. on that,” Joe spoke up.

Glyn looked at Joe and smiled. “I may grow to like the humans you brought along, Edom.”

“You’ll find it easier than you think,” Edom said.

Glyn chuckled. “You’re every bit as bold as your father, boy.”

Joe sat a little straighter. “You… you knew my father?”

“August Corbin was one of the bravest humans I’ve ever met.”

“Very much so,” Edom said. “I take it that you have some interest in our search.”

“Quite a bit,” Glyn said. “More so when I heard Golan was out searching for clues for the Call and the Summoning.”

“And what is that, exactly?”

“You really don’t know, do you?”

“I honestly do not.”

“I thought you would recognize the tablet.” Glyn brightened. “Ah. I forgot. It’s not complete.”

Edom thought for a second. He exhaled. “Of course.”

“What?” Jenny asked.

“The tablet. It’s the Tablet of the Oracle of Argos.” Edom sat back, “Which means that the knife that Migron is possession of is indeed the Dagger of Malgin Clive.” He rubbed his forehead, “Alright, that makes sense.”

“Who’s Malgin Clive?” Joe asked.

“Legendary demon hunter who’s exploits date back to the early 1400s.”

“Made quite the mess for my kind on several occasions,” Glyn said.

“As well he should have,” Edom pointed out.

“Semantics. Either way, I sent Bevan to retrieve you to offer my aid.”

“How so?”

“I can lead you to the original tablet.”

Edom narrowed his eyes, “I can’t help but hear a requested favor in return for that.”

Glyn raised his eyebrow, “And if there is?”

“I want you to know that I am not inclined to do you any favors.”

“A bit unreasonable, archangel. I’m offering you my aid.”

“And I know what comes in terms with your favors,” Edom replied. “I will not yield on that.”

“Then perhaps I cannot help you,” Glyn declared.

“Hm.” Edom reached behind his back and pulled out a knife.

“Whoa…” Joe whispered.

“Uhhhh, Ed?” Jenny asked.

Glyn looked at the knife then at the archangel. “Is that the route we’re taking, Edom?”

Edom looked back at Glyn, twirling the knife in his hands. “If need be. We need that tablet, Glyn. If you have information to retrieve it, you will surrender it to us or there will be a price to pay.”

Glyn smiled. “How far has the dear angel fallen?”

“Far enough.”

Jenny and Joe looked at each other, nervously, then back at Edom.

Glyn chuckled. He pulled a parchment from underneath his plate and handed it to Edom.

Edom looked it then back at Glyn. He put the knife away and took the parchment. He unfolded it to find it was a map. “The location of the actual tablet, I presume?”

“Indeed,” Glyn admitted. “It was removed some time ago to preserve it. If you want it, you’ll have to retrieve it yourself.”

Edom looked at the map then handed it to Jenny. “I imagine a ‘thank you’ is in order.”

“There’s no need.” Glyn lit a cigar. “But do you know why I’m giving this to you?”

“Your immense feeling of victory at my pulling a blade on you for information?”

“Well, yes, there is that. But also because you need to stop that mad angel, Migron, before he destroys everything.”

Edom narrowed his eyes, “How do you mean?”

Glyn inhaled a drag of his cigar, then exhaling the smoke. “That fool is going to unleash something that he doesn’t even understand.”

Edom, Jenny, and Joe looked at each other, uncertain, before turning their attention back to Glyn.

“The Summoning is an Armageddon, true, but it could make the fall of Lucifer look like a school yard bully being put in his place. The power Migron is unleashing will decimate all the world, not just mankind. It is an end I, personally, do not wish to see.”

“And what is it he’s about to let loose?” Jenny asked.

“It’s gone by many names,” Glyn answered, “but many know it simply as Typhon.”

Edom’s eyes widened as his breath caught. “Father in Heaven.”

“I take it this is bad,” Jenny added.

“I would happily die for simply ‘bad’, Jenny,” Edom replied.

“As we both would.” Glyn looked at Edom, “And that is why I am giving you this. Had I known where you were beforehand, I would’ve delivered this to you, myself. Our kind may always be at war, Edom, but I prefer we be at war while there is something to war over. If Migron is successful, all will be destroyed; human, angel, and demon. And, as a businessman, I must admit that all three have their perks.”

“How do we stop him?” Joe asked.

“There’s a ritual he must fulfill before he can unleash the monster. And, also…” Glyn took a puff of his cigar. “…he _must_ be in Sleepy Hollow to do it.”

“Sleepy Hollow?” Edom asked. “Why?”

“Because the Hidden One lied to Migron and he doesn’t know it yet.”

“Lied about what?”

“The Tablet is in Greece,” Glyn said. “It will detail how to stop the Summoning or kill the Typhon. Finding it, you must do on your own, but the Hidden One told Migron that is where the monster would be unleashed from. He lied, the clever charlatan. The Hidden One’s cow, Pandora, kept the monster’s crypt with her at all times. She left it in Sleepy Hollow upon her death.”

“Where?” Jenny asked.

“That I don’t know. All I know is that she kept it close to her to prevent it from being found by Migron or Golan.”

“That red stone Golan took?”

“No, my dear,” Glyn replied. “That was merely another trinket to aid in the ritual. Think of it as… they have all of the car parts except one essential piece: the engine, itself.”

“But whatever’s needed to summon Typhon, Pandora hid somewhere in Sleepy Hollow?” Jenny asked.

“Precisely.”

“So, what summons Typhon?” Joe asked.

“The exact ritual needs, I have no idea,” Glyn admitted. “Like I said, the Tablet we have is incomplete.”

“So, when we find the Tablet, it could be the same for us,” Jenny said.

Glyn smiled. “I’ve heard of your exploits, Jennifer Mills. If anyone could uncover lost pieces, it’s you.”

“Am I famous?” Jenny asked Edom.

“More so than you know,” Edom said. He looked back at Glyn. “I mean this sincerely when I say this…” He nodded, slightly, “Thank you.”

Glyn scoffed. “What world are we living in, Lord Edom? Where the demons are helping the angels… and the angels look to end mankind?”

Edom looked down at the map, “The end of days. If we can’t stop them.”

“Agreed.”

“And let’s make one thing perfectly clear: Migron and Golan are _not_ angels. Angels do not look to murder our Father’s creations.”

Glyn chuckled. “If you say so.” He took another drag from his cigar. “It is an interesting world we live in. Since I can’t bid you farewell in your traditional way, I will simply wish you well.”

“And to you as well.”

* * *

Edom, Jenny, and Joe were in a hotel that night, in Edom’s room, with Edom examining over the map. Jenny and Joe were sitting on his bed, observing Edom as he analyzed it.

“You think Glyn was telling us the truth?” Jenny asked.

“Glyn may be a louse, Jenny,” Edom picked up his journal and started writing. “But he likes the power he has on this side. He would like to keep it. He probably wants us to stop Migron, more than anyone.”

“So, why do you think Golan and Migron haven’t had all this before?” Joe asked. “I mean, it’s been months. Why not just… summon it?”

“He was probably missing some items. Migron is a bit foolish. When Golan took the stone, he must’ve believed that it right away would take him to what he needed. And he probably didn’t believe that the Tablet was worth taking since it was incomplete. It would seem his arrogance played in our favor.”

“Thank God for arrogance,” Jenny smiled.

Edom smiled, never looking up. “Indeed. ‘And so neglect becomes our ally.’” He looked at them. “ _The Count of Monte Cristo_. 2002. Starring Jim Caviezel and Guy Pearce. I love that movie.”

“We’ll have to check it out.”

“Indeed.” Edom went back to work, “You both get some sleep. I’ll be working well into the night.”

“Sounds good,” Jenny agreed.

They got up but Joe stopped.

Jenny looked at Joe, confused.

“Just… one sec.” Joe looked over at Edom, a bit nervous. “Hey, uh, Edom?”

Edom looked up, “Yes, Joe?”

“I’ve been wanting to ask you something for a long time now but… I don’t know, just never seemed to be time.”

Edom set his pen down and interlocked his fingers, “By all means, please.”

Joe sat back down on the bed. “You knew my father, right?”

Jenny looked at Joe, intently and sympathetically.

Edom nodded, “Quite well.”

“See…” Joe began, “I didn’t. Not… as much as I would like but I wanted to ask… someone who isn’t like family to him.” He became wide eyed. “N-No offense.”

Smiling, Edom shook his head, “None taken. I understand what you mean.”

“Just… did he talk about me?”

Edom stared, intently, at Joe and leaned forward, “I want you to listen to me, Joe, and listen well. If you recall any words from me for the rest of your life, let it be these: your father was more proud of you than you can possibly imagine. He kept you away to protect you, but he knew he had a duty. He kept his life of the supernatural a secret from you, but that didn’t lessen his love for you in the slightest. He just wanted his son free of this life. I’m not a father but I can understand his impulse. He did what he knew to be best.” He smiled. “And, quite frankly, yes. It was hard for him to _not_ talk about you.”

Jenny smiled.

Joe nodded his head and exhaled in relief. “Okay. Yeah, I… I know all that. Just…”

“The confirmation is a relief,” Edom said. “I know.”

“Thanks, Ed.”

“My pleasure.”

Joe stood up, “Good night.”

“Night, Ed,” Jenny said.

Edom picked his pen back up, “Good night.”

Jenny and Joe walked outside of his room and closed Edom’s door.

“Better?” Jenny asked.

“Better,” Joe answered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “noswaith” is Welsh for “evening”.


	14. Chapter 13: The Spirit Walk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While the team is looking more into the Tablet, Ray has a supernatural encounter, forcing him to relive his past and accept his calling.

**_One Week Later._ **

Ray was working late in the Sheriff’s department, going over reports he had been working on for the last week. He still wasn’t able to speak with Raul Diego yet as he was still in a coma. With the information they learned from Jenny, their leads of what was causing all of the demonic activity heading to Sleepy Hollow was being narrowed down. The problem was knowing how to stop it.

As Ray was typing, he stopped when heard a flute echoing, very quietly, through the office. He knew he was alone in the building as even the cleaning staff had already gone home. He looked around the office, trying where the sound was coming from.

And the music sounded familiar.

“Ray,” a voice echoed.

Ray stood up, quickly, chills going through his body. “Hello? Someone there?” He took a deep breath and walked around the office until he came to the hallway leading to the exit.

He stopped when he saw a little girl with long black hair, dressed in blue jean overalls and a pink shirt, standing there. She was translucent and appeared to be a ghost.

Ray realized that he recognized her. “Lily?”

“Help me, Ray,” Lily said. “Set me free.” She slowly started to fade away.

“Lily!” Ray ran toward her, “Lily, wait!”

“Set me free.” Lily vanished.

“Lily!” Ray reached where she was standing, swiping the air. He looked around, confused.

Taking deep breaths in a failed attempt to calm down, he wanted to try to write this off as him working too hard, but he knew better.

And there were only two people he knew who could give him any answers.

* * *

**_The Following Morning._ **

Having spoken with Jenny and the others, Abbie and Ichabod were sitting at the main table at the Archives, looking up information on the Typhon, Tablet of the Oracle of Argos, the Bellerophon Ring, and anything else attached to the legend. They had been reading for hours at a time the past few days, and today was no different.

Abbie groaned and rubbed her head, “This is getting ridiculous.”

“Patience, my love,” Ichabod said.

“There’s only bits and pieces here. Nothing concrete.”

“Which played in our favor as well since Migron does not have all he requires, as well.”

“And since Diego’s in a coma…” Abbie began.

“Our number of resources and answers are quite limited,” Ichabod finished.

“Another day at the office.” She groaned and rubbed her eyes. She looked Ichabod, smiled, and leaned over to him. “You know… we could make this more interesting.”

He paused before turning another page. “If you suggesting a heated physical encounter to break up the monotony of our research, I must say…” He looked at her, “we are of the same mind.”

They kissed one another when Abbie’s phone rang. She tried to pull away but Ichabod stopped her.

“Must you?” he asked.

“Someone’s getting greedy,” she smiled. “It’s probably important.”

“We heard all important matters from Jenny.”

“Crane.”

He let out a frustrated exhale. “Very well.”

She giggled, softly, then answered the phone. “Hello?”

Ichabod took hold of her hand.

“Oh, hey, Ray.”

Ichabod kissed Abbie’s hand.

She waved him off with a smile. “No, just looking into that Tablet that Jenny told us about. Nothing yet.”

He took hold of her hand again.

Abbie snatched away and swatted his arm. She turned serious. “Okay. Yeah, yeah, sure. Come on by.” She was quiet again. “No, really, it’s fine. Come by. We’re at the Archives. See you soon.” She ended the call.

“Is there a problem?” Ichabod asked.

“Something’s got him worried. I told him he could come by so we could help him out.”

Ichabod nodded. “Do you think this will… take a long time?”

Abbie smirked at him. “I’m sorry. Is there… something you would like to do?”

“Perhaps.”

“He’s been helping us. If he’s got something going on, we should help him.”

He sighed, “Agreed.”

“Don’t sound that defeated,” she advised. “After all… there’s always later.”

He smiled. “Better words of encouragement were never spoken.”

Minutes later, Ray arrived and gave them a recount of what happened to him the night before. After retelling everything, he sat down and rubbed his eyes.

“And you’re sure that no one else was there?” Abbie asked.

“I’ve been working late,” Ray said, lowering his hand. “Everyone was gone. It was just me, Abbie. I swear.”

“I believe you.”

“As do I,” Ichabod said.

Ray smiled, “Thanks.”

“So, who’s Lily?” Abbie asked.

“She was a friend of a mine when I was a kid,” Ray said. “One day, when were like… twelve, maybe eleven, she just… went missing.”

“Just up and disappeared?”

“Yeah.”

“Do you remember anything about the case?”

Ray scoffed. “I can’t ever forget it. I remember the day she didn’t show up for school. Me and my cousin, all our friends, we looked for her all day. No one could find her. There was a search and everything. After I joined the department, I’ve memorized the file. Lily’s parents died in a car accident when she was younger so she was raised by her aunt and uncle. Her aunt was in Manhattan for work and her uncle worked at a lumber yard and he’d been there since 7 AM.”

“No one took her to school?” Abbie asked.

“Lily always got on the bus by herself.” Ray grinned. “She was tough girl. Independent. There was a sighting of her going into the forest later that afternoon. They searched for weeks. Never found her.” He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “Her aunt died two years ago, her uncle about six months after that.” He sighed and stopped for a moment. He stared at the wall, trying to stop the tear that was forming. He inhaled and let out a stunted breath. “Sorry, got… sidetracked.”

“Think nothing of it,” Ichabod reassured. “Please, take your time.”

Ray nodded. “So, anyway, you know how it goes when no one has answer: a lot of theories came up, everyone starts guessing. My grandmother, though… said that it was a monster. She warned me I could be next.”

“What led your grandmother to believe it was a monster that took Lily?” Ichabod asked.

“What I’m about to say would’ve sounded nuts six months ago but my grandmother was very… attuned with the spirits, I guess.” Ray shrugged. “She said I had the gift, too. I just don’t use it.”

“Perhaps she wasn’t far off.”

“What do you mean?”

“Maybe it’s why you’re a part of this,” Abbie said. “Maybe it’s what led you to call us to begin with.”

Ray chuckled, sardonically, “Abbie, c’mon…”

“Why’d you call me for this in the first place, Ray? When you heard about Gate?”

“Because everyone in the department knows you deal with this kind of thing.”

“Okay, so, when Gate first showed up, what made you be the first officer on the scene?”

Ray opened his mouth to answer but stopped when he realized what he was about to say. “It… just… felt like I should have.” He sat up straighter. “Whoa.” He slowly stood up. “Okay. Okay, okay. So, what does all of this mean?”

“I believe that it is what we are meant to find out,” Ichabod said.

They set aside the research for the Tablet and looked into the phenomenon of what Ray experienced. After a couple of hours of reading, Ichabod stumbled across something.

“I believe this may be of help,” Ichabod said. Abbie and Ray abandoned their own books and went over to him. “‘While philosophies varied among Native tribes, the common held belief that the spirit world could be felt and communed with through a chosen few still in the land of the living. Those on other side who wished to send a message would do so through these chosen ones. This was known as the Spirit Walk.”

Ray slowly stood up straight, his breathing slowing to a crawl.

Abbie could see the weight of this hitting him but they needed him to focus. “You said that you heard a song?”

“Yeah.” Ray started to pace. “Uh… yeah, ssssomewhere.” He paced for a few more seconds then groaned. “I know I’ve heard it before! But where?!”

“Think, Ray. Focus. Was it a song you’ve played before? Did someone play it for you? Did you hear it as a kid? As an adult?”

“No, I…” Ray stopped. “Wait a sec.” He heard the faint sound of a flute. Ray saw Abbie and Ichabod looking perplexed, as well. “Either I’m going crazy or both of you hear that, too.”

“We hear it,” Abbie replied.

“Hold on.” Ray listened, studying the flow of the music. “That… it sounds a lot like Zuni Sunrise.”

“‘Zuni’?”

“Yeah, Zuni’s a tribe in… the southwest. Arizona, I think.”

“I believed you were of Mohican descent,” Ichabod said.

“I am but…” Ray stopped. “…But Lily was Zuni.”

“You remembered,” Lily’s voice echoed. She slowly materialized amongst them.

Abbie jumped to her feet. “I really hate that this isn’t the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen.”

“Lily,” Ray said, taking a step toward her. “What… what are you doing here?”

“You have to set me free, Ray. Please. You’re the only one who can.”

“How? How can I do it?”

“You can see, Ray,” Lily implored. “The only reason they can see me is because you’re strong enough for me to be here.”

Ray shook his head, “Lily. I don’t understand.”

Lily looked behind her, suddenly. “He’s waking up again.”

“Who is? What is going on?!”

She turned back around. “Find me, Ray. Find me. I know you can do it.” She started to fade.

“Lily!”

“Find me,” she whispered then she was gone.

The trio took a second to gather themselves after what they just saw.

“Find her,” Ray said. “Find her where? How?”

“I believe that is where we come in,” Ichabod said. He went back to the book and learned more about the spirit walk. He raised an inquisitive finger, “‘A spirit can only commune with another who’s spirit walk is very strong. Where that spirit resides, the chosen one can see.’” He and Abbie looked at Ray.

“Your grandmother said you had a gift,” Abbie said. “Looks like she was right. I’ve seen firsthand that any history with the supernatural can come back on you.”

“Particularly when one comes into contact with us,” Ichabod said. “Perhaps it’s time you attempted to use that gift.”

Ray rubbed his face. “Okay. Okay!” He exhaled. “So… how do we do this?”

“It’s within you. Your strength, your spirit. You must focus on finding Lily.”

“If…” Abbie said, “if that’s what you want, Ray.”

“What do you mean?” Ray asked.

Abbie sighed. “Once you go down this road, you awaken this…” she shook her head, “there’s no going back. When you turn it on, you can’t turn it off. And it only gets tougher from here. I promise we’ll help you all we can but… you do this? That’s it. You’re in for good.”

Ray sat down, leaned back, and exhaled. He knew when he agreed to help them that he was heading down a dangerous road, but he didn’t think that it would mean he would be so involved with it. Now, everything could change. He almost laughed when he realized that everything already had. He stared at them both. “Let’s do it.”

A little while later, Abbie and Ichabod set up a relaxing mood in the Archives. They made sure the room was quiet and let Ray focus. After a few minutes of trying to concentrate, Ray groaned as he wasn’t feeling anything. “It’s not working!”

“Give yourself a chance,” Ichabod said.

“Just take your time,” Abbie said. “You can do this.”

“Maybe this is a mistake,” Ray protested.

“No, it’s not. Lily didn’t come to us. She was looking for you. Focus, Ray. Focus on Lily, on the song, on finding her.”

Ray took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He concentrated on Lily once again. He squinted his eyelids harder as he tried to feel anything that might be of us. All he was starting to feel was frustration and anger. He was about to give up again when he saw something in his mind.

It was hazy at first. But he could see start to see landscapes zoom passed him. It looked familiar but he couldn’t place right away. The scene moved into a cave where he could see Lily but she was in some kind of orb. Ray was getting another view and saw that orb was around the neck of someone.

Or something.

Ray saw a small creature with something like porcupine hairs on his back. He looked similar to a human but only just so.

The creature growled and looked right at Ray.

Ray gasped.

The creature swiped its hand.

Ray was thrown back and he fell back in his chair, hitting the ground.

“RAY!” Abbie shouted as she and Ichabod ran to him.

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” Ray said. He rubbed the back of his head as Ichabod helped him sit up. “That… what was that thing?”

“What did it look like?” Ichabod asked.

Ray thought about it. “Where’s that book of creatures you showed me?”

Ichabod found the book on the table. Ray got up and flipped through the pages, going back to a page he saw before. He stopped when he found the page he came to and was met to face with their adversary.

Ray read the description. “The Pukwudgie?” Ichabod and Abbie looked at the page and started reading about the creature. “‘A creature best to be left alone for they are known for playing cruel, often dangerous tricks on others. Once friendly to humans, most are known to be mischievous, particularly when angered. They possess the ability to make themselves unseen. They’re also known… to…” Ray trailed off. He sighed. “‘Kidnap children… and harm their victims’.”

“But why does he have Lily?” Abbie asked. “What made it take her in the first place?”

Ray shook his head, “We have to find this thing.”

Ichabod stared at him, “Are you able to?”

Ray took a deep breath. “I… I think I can.”

Abbie and Ichabod looked at each other then back at Ray.

“Are you sure?” Abbie asked.

Ray nodded. “I saw… flashes of the forest in the northeast. It’s a big area but I’ve been there before. Look, I know it’s not much but… let me try?”

“Of course,” Ichabod said.

Abbie nodded. “Okay. Let’s do this.”

Ichabod looked at Abbie. “We may need the help of your father for the search.”

“I’ll call him,” Abbie said. “Have him meet us there.”

They got in Abbie’s truck and drove toward the forest. Abbie drove while Ichabod sat in the back and Ray sat in the passenger seat, giving directions. Abbie looked and saw Ray was pensive. She wasn’t sure if it was because of the current situation or if there was more on his mind. She glanced back at Ichabod and saw that he was thinking the same thing.

Ichabod leaned forward and placed his hand on Ray’s shoulder. “You’re doing well, Raymond.”

Ray gave a half-hearted smile. “Thanks. Just… man, this is so crazy.”

“I can imagine.”

“You wanna call your girl, Ray?” Abbie asked. “I’m sure she’s worried about you.”

Ray looked at her, “Uh… no girl to call. We, uh… she ended things.”

Ichabod and Abbie looked at Ray in shock.

“What?” Abbie asked. “Why?”

“Job offer. Los Angeles. She… left me a ‘Dear John’ letter. Said things were too weird here.” Ray shrugged, “Said I wasn’t there enough.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Ray looked over and saw guilt written all over Abbie’s face. “Don’t start, Abbie. Don’t you do it. We’re not going over this anymore.” He looked out of the window. “‘We are free to choose our actions. But we are not free to choose the consequences of these actions.’”

“That’s good,” Abbie said. “Did you make that up?”

“I wish. It’s from Stephen R. Covey. He’s got some pretty good books.”

They arrived at the point in the forest where Ray’s vision began. They all got out and saw Ezra approach them from his car.

Ezra looked at Abbie, uncertain, but cleared his throat. “I’m glad you called me, Abbie.”

Abbie nodded, pensively. “Yeah, well… we… thanks for coming.”

“Of course.”

Ray looked at them both, “Wow. I thought this was awkward for me. I got off easy.”

“I concur,” Ichabod said.

“Let’s go,” Abbie said, ignoring them.

They walked into the forest, walking at least two miles away from any kind of path, when Ray stopped. He recognized some of the flora and realized that they were close. Ray took a deep breath and lead them further in until they came to the cave he saw in his vision. They all ventured into the cave only to find that it was empty.

“I don’t get it,” Ray whispered. “This is the place.”

“It must’ve left after you appeared to it,” Ichabod said.

“That doesn’t mean he’s got away,” Abbie said. “Let’s search for it.”

They decided each of them would head out in their own direction, going back into the forest to find their prey. After twenty minutes of searching the forest, Ray was starting to feel something in his heart telling him he was going the wrong direction. Then, he could hear the flute playing again. He looked toward where Abbie walked off.

“That way,” Lily’s voice whispered to him.

Ray hurried off.

* * *

As Abbie was walking along, she drew her gun when she heard a twig snap behind her.

Ezra put his hands in the air, “Whoa, whoa, Abbie! It’s me!”

She exhaled. “God, Dad. I thought were you headed east.”

“I am. I was. But… I just wanted… to make sure you were okay.”

“I can take care of myself.”

“I’m not questioning that,” he said.

She stared at him, realizing what he was actually searching for. “You wanna do this now? Really?”

“No, not now. But we should. At some point. Soon.”

“Fine. Just not when…”

Abbie heard another twig snap. Suddenly, a knife darted through the air and caught Ezra in the left arm.

“DAD!” Abbie pushed her father to the ground and pulled him behind a tree. She looked from behind the tree and just barely managed to dodge another knife. She drew her gun again and fired at the direction the knife came from.

Abbie wasn’t sure if she hit anything as the forest went quiet again. She looked down at her father and pulled closer, inspecting his wound. “Oh, God.”

“Don’t worry,” Ezra said. “It’s not as bad as it looks. I’ve had worse.” He hissed at the pain. “Did you get him?”

“I have no idea. Damn thing can turn invisible.”

“That’s encouraging.”

From behind another tree, the Pukwudgie got a visual on Abbie and Ezra. It was about to throw the knife when a gunshot rang out through the forest. Abbie looked beyond where she heard the shot come from and saw Ray, holding his gun as smoke emanated from the barrel. He walked forward and came up to the corpse of the Pukwudgie, as the bullet tore through his back and exited through his chest.

Ichabod ran up next and stopped behind Ray. “I heard the shots and…” he the Pukwudgie’s body. He exhaled. “It’s over.”

“Almost.” Ray flipped the body over and found the blue orb around the creature’s neck. He plucked it off and stared it, wondrously.

“Ray?” Lily asked.

Ray gasped. “Lily?”

She slowly made herself manifest in front of him. She smiled. “You found me.”

“Yeah.” He scoffed. “Only took about 15 years, right?”

Lily giggled.

“Why did it take you?”

“It uses people who can perform the Spirit Walk as its power. It wanted you, too, but I saw your grandmother stop him.”

Ray looked at her, surprised. “She did?”

“Yeah. The Pukwudgie ran from Sleepy Hollow to get away from her and, even when it came back, it stayed hidden until this woman captured it.”

Abbie narrowed her eyes, “Pandora.”

Lily shrugged, “I guess so. We were set free a while ago but… it took a while for me to… fully wake up and to find someone to connect with.” She looked at Ray and smiled. “Honestly, I thought you would’ve left Sleepy Hollow.”

Ray shook his head, “Couldn’t. I… felt like I should stay.”

Lily smiled. “Good thing, too. You saved me.”

“But I didn’t save you.”

“Of course you did.”

“But… not like I wish I could have.”

“What was that song?” Lily asked. “‘You can’t always get what you want’.”

Ray gave a half-hearted smile.

“Free me, Ray. Break the orb.”

He nodded and put the orb on a rock, before smashing it with the butt of his gun. Once it shattered, light shot out from it and swirled all around.

Lily smiled as she looked at all of the light. She looked back at Ray and her smile turned sad. “Thank you.”

Ray nodded, tears forming in his eyes. He opened his mouth and his voice caught. He swallowed the lump in his throat. “See you around, Lily.”

“Good-bye, Ray.” Lily faded away.

After she was gone, Abbie and Ichabod walked up and put their hands on Ray’s shoulders as he let out a shuddered breath.

* * *

The following day, Ray stood at Lily’s grave, staring at it silently. Abbie and Ichabod walked up and saw that he set flowers on her gravestone.

“Ray,” Abbie said.

Ray looked at them, surprised. “Hey! What are you guys doing here?”

“Wanted to check on you.”

“You’ve been nothing but supportive for us,” Ichabod said. “We had to do the same for you.”

Ray smiled a bit. “Thanks. I… I really appreciate that.”

They all looked back down at the grave stone. Abbie and Ichabod could only imagine what was going through Ray’s mind; it was a lot to absorb within 36 hours.

“You’ve honored her, Raymond,” Ichabod said. “You saved her.”

“Yeah.” Ray smiled. “Yeah, I did. I… closed her case.”

“That’s good,” Ichabod said.

“You taking time off from work?” Abbie asked.

Ray nodded, “Just a couple of days. Just to… ya know, process everything.”

“I got you.”

Ray looked at Abbie, “Hey, how’s your dad?”

“He’s fine,” Abbie answered. “He said he’s had much worse. A few stitches and splint later and he’s back to normal.”

“Good.” Ray looked at the gravestone again then back at the couple. “Hey, I’m gonna take off. I’ll, uh… call you guys later. Okay?”

“Okay.”

Ray stared at them then hugged them. They were surprised but they hugged him back.

Ray released the hug. “I’m sorry. I know that was weird but… just…” He sighed. “Thanks… for everything.”

“You’re most welcome,” Ichabod said.

“Anytime,” Abbie said.

* * *

That night, Ray sat in Rusty’s Bar, getting lost in thought and the beer sitting in front of him. His mind kept drifting to Lily, how he finally learned what happened to her, and gave her peace. As he stared at the bottle, Sophie walked in and found him sitting at the bar.

She walked up to him, “Deputy Merck?”

He looked up. “Oh! Agent Foster! What brings you around here?”

“I was just looking for a place to have a quiet drink. You?”

He smirked, “Drinking to old memories. The good, the bad, the ugly.”

“I can leave you alone, if you…”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I could use the company.” He patted the empty space next to him on the bar, “Sit, sit!”

Sophie sat down and ordered her drink.

“So, Agent Foster!” Ray said. “I’ve always wanted to ask you this. What’s a nice FBI girl like you doing in such a crime ridden hellhole like Sleepy Hollow?”

“The thrill of adventure,” Sophie smiled. The bartender sat her beer down in front of her.

They both laughed.

“Truth is I was just assigned here. A lot of stolen goods tend to pass through this area. Just the luck of the draw. Didn’t think it would be as crazy as it became.”

“Tell me about it,” he scoffed. “I joined the Sheriff’s department because it would be easy to help people that way.”

“Then you get thrown in the world of monsters and magic,” she mused.

“My grandparents always told stories of ancient spirits and great evil. Always thought they were campfire stories Native American families passed down through the generations. No weight to them. Just a boogeyman under the bed, you know?”

“The line between truth and fiction is getting more and more blurry.” Sophie took a drink.

“And how.” Ray stared at his drink. “You know what gets me? If it wasn’t for Abbie and Ichabod… I still never would’ve known what happened to Lily. It would still just be a story and her death…” He shook his head. “…no one would’ve known the truth. Her aunt died of a heart attack, two years ago. Six months later… her uncle drank himself into getting into a car and crashing into a tree.” He shook his head, “No one would’ve missed her.”

She stared at him for a while. “ _You_ still missed her. That’s what matters.”

“I did.” He scoffed. “I just wished it could’ve brought her back.”

“I know how that feels.”

Ray looked up, “Yeah?”

Sophie nodded.

He could tell she had a story but she didn’t share. He wasn’t going to pry. “I hope you can close yours someday.”

“Hope so.”

“Well, either way.” He held his bottle up. “Here’s to closure.”

“I can drink to that.”

They clinked their bottles together.

* * *

Abbie was sitting on her bed, staring into nothing when Ichabod walked in.

“My dear?” Ichabod asked.

She looked at him.

“Something’s on your mind.”

She shook her head, “It’s nothing.” She stood up and started getting ready for bed.

“You’re not being truthful.”

She stopped.

“Please. Tell me what troubles you.”

Abbie stared at him then looked down.

“Did… something else happen with your father?” he asked.

She shook her head, “No, we’re fine. I mean… we still need to talk but we’re fine.”

“Then, please. Tell me what’s on your mind.”

She took a deep breath. “We put ourselves at risk. All the time. But… when our time as Witnesses is done… we might still have our enemies.”

He exhaled. “Yes.”

“So… when’s all said and done… do you think we’ll be okay?”

He gave her a small smile. “I, honestly, believe we will. Our bond is stronger than it has ever been and it will continue to grow.”

She smiled. “Yeah. Yeah, that’s true.” She exhaled. “But… that’s not what’s really getting me.”

“Oh?”

“I keep thinking about what happened to Lily and how much hell her aunt and uncle must’ve gone through when she went missing.” She sat back down on the bed and exhaled, shaking her head. “And never seeing her again. I mean, it doesn’t have to be an ancient monster. It could happen because of a man walking down the street.”

“Indeed,” he said, sadly. “Evil does not always take the form of monsters. It can and does reside quite well within men without any demonic help.”

“Knew that before I became a Witness.” She sighed. “So… yeah. All that makes me worry.”

“What about?”

She stared at him for a few seconds then said, “About any kids we might have.”

Ichabod stared at her. He had to process everything he just heard from her. It was a dream for him to be a father again and, from the moment he and Abbie admitted their love for each other, he dreamed for that chance with her. He didn’t want to say anything to her for fear of making it seem like he was pressuring her. He came back to reality and exhaled. “You… wish to have children… with me?”

“Not right away. I mean… our lives are crazy enough as it is. But…” She shrugged. “Yeah. One day.”

He took a second before he continued. “May I ask one more question?”

“Of course.”

“Would that mean that… someday, perhaps… not in the immediate future, of course… you would… perhaps, consider, marrying me?”

She considered the question. How she would answer would determine more than just the course of their relationship. It would reveal the direction she wanted her life to take. And it was a direction that she never considered. She tucked her lips in and nodded her head. “Yes,” she whispered. “I absolutely would.”

Ichabod stared at her, for a long time. He walked up to her, got on his knees, and kissed her. “Grace Abigail Mills. You are the most amazing woman I have ever known. For you to trust me so much…”

“You trusted me, first. It was easy.”

“You have my heart. Always.”

“You’ve got mine. You always will. Nothing’s going to change that.”

“I know not what course out lives will take,” he admitted. “But… we will face every challenge and triumph and even defeat together. I swear that to you.”

She smiled. “That more than works for me.”

* * *

In the ancient ruins of the city of Akrai in Sicily, Edom, Jenny, and Joe found the hidden cave in the middle of the city and made their way into a cavern. They ventured deeper into the cave until they came to a small lake.

“This is the place,” Jenny said, putting the map in her back pocket.

Joe leaned over the side and looked down. “Can’t really see the bottom.”

“Perfect hiding spot,” Edom said. He took his jacket off. “Wait here.”

“Here,” Jenny handed Edom a flashlight. Edom took the light and dove into the water. Jenny and Joe paced for a few minutes as they waited for him to surface. Joe kept looking at his watch and soon realized that ten minutes had passed.

“How long can he hold his breath?” Joe asked.

“I’m trying not to ask that question,” Jenny chided.

“Sorry.”

After another ten minutes, they started to worry.

Until they heard bubbles hit the surface and a light flashed under the surface. Seconds later, Edom emerged from the water with a deep breath and shook his head.

Edom looked at the two and smiled, “Well, that was refreshing.”

Jenny and Joe laughed.

Edom grunted as he grabbed the edge of the shore with his left hand. “Mind giving me a hand with this?” He heaved up a heavy chest and they rushed to help him. “Watch yourselves. It’s very heavy.”

They all managed to get the chest out of the water and pulled further inland with Edom hopping out of the water as well. They opened up the chest and found the onyx tablet wrapped up in a cloth.

Edom nodded. “This is it.”

“Alright,” Jenny exhaled. “Let’s pack up then. We’re going home.”


	15. Chapter 14: The Fated Ones

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Jenny, Joe, and Edom back in Sleepy Hollow with the Tablet, the team gathers to learn what's coming next and how to stop it.

Jenny, Joe, and Edom were on the plane, bound for Sleepy Hollow. Joe was asleep while Edom was reading his journal. Jenny, however, found herself staring out of the window as the plane passed over the clouds. It felt good to be going home but she liked the sensation she experienced from seeing the clouds from above them. There was something surreal about it: gliding over it all.

Edom looked up from his reading and stared at Jenny. He smiled. “You seem to like that view.”

“Always,” Jenny said. “I envy you angels. Getting to fly with wings.”

“Don’t envy me. I gave mine up.” He looked back at his journal. “Part of my deal.”

She looked over at him. “Does it ever bother you?”

He looked at her.

“Giving it all up?”

He contemplated his response. Then slowly shook his head. “I deserved worse. Far worse.” He gave a half smile. “Then to meet such people as you, Abigail, Joseph, and Ichabod, among others, made it worth it. Those meetings, alone, are blessings far more than I deserved.”

“Funny. I think the same thing about you.”

“Then I am blessed, indeed.”

* * *

Ray was sitting at home in his easy chair, thinking about the events of the pass few days. His television was on but he was hardly paying attention to it. All he could think about was Cecelia, Lily, and the Spirit Walk. He had no idea what that last item would even entail and how that would that effect with his life now.

‘ _Where_ do _I go from here?_ ’ he thought, leaning on his fist. His cell phone rang, snapping him out of his stupor. He looked at the phone and saw that it was Sophie’s phone number. He answered, “Agent Foster, what can I do for you?”

“ _Hey,_ ” Sophie said. “ _I know you said that you’re taking a couple of days off but… Raul Diego is awake._ ”

Ray perked up.

“ _I can handle this, if you want._ ”

“No, no, uh… I’m… I’m fine. I can do this. Are you going to the hospital?”

“ _About to leave right now,_ ” she said.

“I’ll see you there.” Ray ended the call and took a deep breath. He wasn’t sure if he was ready for this but he still wanted to be one to speak with Diego. He wanted to keep his word and do his part. He lifted his eyebrows up, “Guess _that’s_ where I go from here.”

* * *

Ray and Sophie were at the hospital, arriving at Diego’s room. They went inside and found him, lying in bed and staring out of the window.

“Mr. Diego?” Sophie asked.

Diego turned toward them.

“My name is Sophie Foster, FBI,” she flashed her badge then motioned to Ray, “This is Deputy Ray Merck, Sleepy Hollow Sheriff’s department.” Ray showed his badge, as well. “We need to talk to you about an attack that took place a couple of weeks ago when you arrived into town.”

Diego narrowed his eyes. “Attack?”

“Yes, sir,” Ray said. “Four boys were attacked and killed. We were looking for any witnesses to that attack. You happened to get off of the bus near where the murders took place. Do you remember anything about that?”

Diego’s face hardened. “I remember punishing evil.”

Ray stared at him, blankly, and leaned toward Sophie, whispering, “And we’ve walked into Planters’ territory.”

“Those… kids were evil! I killed them to clear the world of evil!”

“An assorted bag from the sound of things.”

“Mr. Diego,” Sophie said, “do you understand what you’re saying?”

“I’m saying that I killed them because they deserved to die!” Diego shouted.

Ray narrowed his eyes, “They were innocent kids.”

“Innocent? _Innocent!_ They were smoking and pushed me around for trying to stop them!”

Ray’s face hardened. “Smoking. Smoking and you decided to kill them.”

“Evil is evil! It must be destroyed! It…” Diego looked at his hand then looked around, “Where is it? Where is it?!”

“Where is what?” Sophie asked.

“My ring! Where is my ring?!”

They looked at each other, unsure.

“It…” Sophie started.

“Must’ve fell off somewhere,” Ray cut in. Sophie looked at him, awkwardly, but he quickly raised his eyebrows at her.

“Yeah.” Sophie looked back at Diego. “We’ll have to find it.”

“It showed me!” Diego said, seething. “It showed me the truth about evil.”

Sophie narrowed her eyes. “What truth?”

“That great evil has come. It rests here in this city. Mankind… has brought damnation upon itself and I must stop it.”

“Stop it?”

“The ring showed me the evil and it gives me power,” Diego insisted. “Power to eradicate the evil that festers here!”

“It gives you power?” Ray asked. “Like the One Ring? Ya know, that… rules them all?”

Sophie almost smiled but bit the inside of her cheek.

“You think this is a game?!” Diego tried jumping out of bed, “You think this is a joke!”

Ray and Sophie pushed him back on to his bed. “Easy, Mr. Diego!” Ray shouted. A couple of orderlies came in, followed by some of the nurses.

“Evil must be punished!” Diego shouted. “It must die! It must die before it kills us all!”

Sophie and Ray looked at each other as Diego was restrained and sedated. Sophie and Ray spoke with the doctors, who advised that would monitor him for another day before allowing the FBI to take him into custody.

As they were leaving down the hallway, Sophie looked at Ray. “The ring ‘fell off’?”

Ray shrugged, “You said we have to ‘find’ it.”

“Yeah. ‘Find it’ in the evidence bag where it ‘fell off.’”

“I see you understand these concepts.” Ray stopped and looked back toward Diego’s room.

Sophie stopped, as well. “What’s up?”

Ray slowly conceived a plan. He exhaled. “He said that the ring showed him evil.” He looked back at Sophie. “I think we need to see what he meant by that.”

“Are you crazy?”

“Yes. But that should’ve been obvious when I didn’t leave after Gate showed up.”

Sophie shrugged, reluctantly, conceding his point.

* * *

After getting off of work, Abbie walked up to the door of her house when she looked and Jenny sitting on the swing. Abbie gasped and smiled. “Jenny.”

Jenny smiled. “Hey, big sister. Been a while.”

Abbie hurried to her and Jenny jumped to her feet and they hugged each other with all they had.

“I’m so glad to see you,” Abbie said.

“Back at you, Abbie,” Jenny replied.

They went inside where Jenny caught sight of a somewhat typical view: Ichabod cooking.

“Finally, something I’m used to,” Jenny smiled.

Ichabod turned around and smiled, “Jenny.”

“Hey, Crane.” She went over and hugged him. After the hug, she looked at the stove, “What’s cooking?”

“Oh! Well, a simple pasta and… was that a turn-of-phrase?”

Jenny thought about it. “I dunno. I think I was actually asking what you’re cooking.”

Ichabod smiled. “Oh, how I’ve missed you, Jenny.”

“Missed you guys too.”

Abbie looked back outside, “Where’s Joe and Ed?”

“Heading to the Archives with the Tablet,” Jenny sat at the table, along with Abbie. “They said we could all meet up tonight, to look over everything.”

“So, everything worked out.”

“Yeah. You missed Ed going gangster for a second, though.”

Abbie stared at her, blankly. “Like… Al Capone?”

“Like Al Capone with a mix of NWA,” Jenny explained.

Ichabod looked up and turned toward them, “What does the National Wrestling Alliance have to do with…” He stopped. “Ah. The… hip-hop collective.”

They both stared at him, smiling.

“I shall return to my pasta, now.” Ichabod turned back around and resumed cooking.

“Not much has changed around here,” Jenny said. “Good.”

“Well, not everything,” Abbie said. “A couple of things here and there.”

Ichabod smiled as he kept cooking.

Jenny looked at Abbie then at Ichabod then back at her sister. “A couple of things like what?”

Abbie just smiled and looked down, a bit of a blush forming.

Jenny stared at her sister, narrowing her eyes. She hadn’t seen this look from her sister in a long time. Then she looked at Ichabod and something occurred to her. “Crane?”

He didn’t turn around.

Jenny jerked her head back. She looked at Abbie, “You two didn’t…”

Abbie looked up, “Didn’t what?”

Jenny stared at her. Then slowly turned toward Crane, who looked at over at them. Jenny caught a smile on his face just before he looked away.

A smile slowly formed on Jenny’s face and she exclaimed, “Oh, my God! You two… you did, didn’t you?!”

“What?” Abbie asked.

Jenny licked the top right corner of her lip. “You just couldn’t help yourself, huh? Went from Crane on the brain to Crane in your pa…”

“Shut up, Jenny!”

Jenny turned toward Ichabod, “And you!”

Ichabod turned around, bewildered, and asked, “What?”

“Had to do it, huh? And you both waited until I was out of the country!”

“I have no idea as to what you are possibly referring to.”

“Uh-huh,” Jenny said. “I’ll bet you don’t.” She looked back and forth between the couple. “So, I guess it’s ‘Leftenant’ in front of us and what? ‘Goddess’ in the bedroom?”

Ichabod blushed, furiously.

“You actually called her that, didn’t you?!” Jenny shouted, excitedly. She looked back at Abbie, who had a huge grin on her face. “He put it down, didn’t he?”

Abbie shrugged, “I’ve got no complaints.”

“Nor do I,” Ichabod added.

Jenny smiled. “Well, alright then!”

* * *

Late that night, Edom and Joe were in the Archives with the Noswaith Tablet lying on the floor when Abbie, Jenny, and Ichabod. Abbie walked up to Joe and gave him a hug and Ichabod shook hands with Edom. Ray and Sophie arrived just minutes later, carrying the Ring of Bellerophon in an evidence bag.

Ray saw the globetrotting trio and smiled. “Always good to see friends back home!”

“Good to make it back,” Joe said.

“How was the world tour?” Sophie asked.

“We packed out all the stadiums but we wrecked all the hotel rooms,” Jenny said.

“Motörhead wishes they had as much fun as we had,” Edom smiled.

Abbie looked at the ring in the evidence bag. “Why’d you bring that along?”

Ray looked at the ring and put it on the table. “I figured if we were putting all of this together, I think this has something to do with it.”

“We talked to Raul Diego today,” Sophie said.

“Did he remember anything?” Abbie asked.

Ray chuckled, “Oh-ho, did he ever! He confessed to the murders and said that evil must be punished!”

Joe stopped and thought. “Didn’t… didn’t something like that happen before we left?”

“Joe, I knew you were cool!”

“Oh, my God, another bromance,” Abbie said.

“Shall we stay on topic?” Ichabod asked.

Joe shrugged, “Okay. So, you two finally slept together?”

Abbie and Ichabod both stopped while Jenny laughed.

“Wait, when did _that_ happen?!” Ray asked.

“Oh, my!” Edom said, surprised.

“Not the topic I was referring to,” Ichabod said, blushing.

“Yeah, no kidding,” Abbie agreed, rubbing her forehead.

“Seriously, when did this happen?” Sophie asked.

Ray thought about it. “Well, they do live together.”

Sophie shrugged. “Guess it kinda was bound to happen.”

“I beg your pardon!” Ichabod said.

Edom smiled, “Well, while I would love to stay on that topic of conversation…” He paused, fighting the urge to smile harder before giving in, “…in a similar way, I’m sure, Ichabod remained on top of Abigail.” He laughed, “I am so ashamed myself right now!” The rest of the group, save Ichabod and Abbie, couldn’t help but laugh.

“I’m not!” Jenny said. “That was a good one!”

Edom bowed, “Thank you.”

Ichabod stared at the angel. “ _Et tu_ , Lord Edom?”

“Forgive me, Lord Crane. An opportunity like that so rarely presents itself.”

Abbie shook her head, “Are all of you done?”

“Like hell,” Jenny said. “But we can take a break.”

“Thank God,” Ichabod said.

“You’d better,” Edom smiled.

Ichabod shook his head.

Abbie looked at the Tablet. “So, this is responsible for all of the trouble.”

“Mostly,” Edom said, knelt down next to it. “Migron still has the dagger of Clive.”

“Among other things,” Jenny mentioned.

“Quite.”

“So, seriously, what’s going on?” Ray asked.

“The reason for all of this trouble a world-ending monster,” Edom said. “It’s known as the Typhon. That’s what’s been calling the demons and monsters to Sleepy Hollow. It’s about to awaken.”

“I take it that’s bad,” Sophie said.

“There are many, many monsters that exist outside of God’s creation of Earth but found their way here. We contained or destroyed the ones we could but, over the many millennia, others found their way here.”

“The Typhon one of the many?” Ichabod asked.

“In one of the most terrifying ways. Long have we dreaded that creature. Its powers are unimaginable, only matched by its appetite for destruction.”

“And it’s purpose?”

“To destroy all life on Earth.”

Ray raised his hand.

Edom looked at him, “Yes, Raymond? How can I help you?”

“Hold it,” Jenny looked at Ray. “Did you seriously raise your hand?”

“Well, I didn’t wanna just start talking,” Ray replied.

“We do it.”

“Yeah, but he could’ve been about to say something real important. I can wait my turn.”

Edom chuckled. “Raymond, your manners are greatly appreciated. What was your question?”

Ray held up the ring, “Would this have anything to do with Typhon?”

Edom narrowed his eyes, “The Ring of Bellerophon? Most likely. It’s entirely possible that Bellerophon, himself, came into contact with the monster or at least his…” His eyes widened. “His monolith.”

“Huh?” Joe asked.

“ _That’s_ what Pandora had! Typhon’s monolith is causing the Call. _That_ will bring about the Summoning!”

“So, where’d she put it?” Abbie asked.

“That is a good question,” Edom answered.

“I’ve got one last question,” Ray said.

“By all means…”

“Would the ring cause a seemingly normal college professor go crazy and kill, maybe, I don’t know, say, four kids and go Mike Tyson on a demon twice his size?”

Edom folded his arms, “Your murder case involving Mr. Diego?”

“Yep.”

Edom started pacing, “In theory. He could’ve been shown the evil that’s coming and it overwhelmed his mind.”

“Would it make him see humanity as evil?” Sophie asked.

“In theory. It really depends on the mind, more than anything else. That is to say, a person wearing the ring would see the same thing and how they would react to it, or, rather, how they would interpret it would be different.”

Ray looked at the ring. “What about if someone else wears it?”

“Who would be that insane?” Edom asked.

Ray, quietly, stared at Edom.

Everyone understood. And they were all quick to voice their disapproval. All at once.

Ray looked at all of them, hearing their arguments. “Okay, okay! Damn, it was just an idea!”

Edom smiled. “I believe we are concerned for you, Raymond. We saw it did to a seemingly decent minded man. While your level of decency may be far higher, it would be better to not take the risk, needlessly.”

Ray shrugged, “That’s fair.” He put the bag containing the ring on the table, “Just an idea.”

Sophie looked at Tablet, leaning her head to the side. She looked around the room then, awkwardly, raised her hand.

“You have got to be kidding me!” Abbie said.

“Well, I didn’t want Ray to feel by himself on this,” Sophie replied.

“Thank you, Agent Foster!” Ray said.

Edom chuckled, “Your inquiry, Sophie?”

“What language is this written in?” Sophie asked, pointing at the Tablet.

“Yeah, you know what, I had that question, too,” Joe admitted.

“Yeah, okay, me, too,” Jenny said, exasperatedly. “I mean, you read it to us but I just took your word for it.”

“See?” Ray smiled. “The hand raising works.”

Edom laughed. “To answer, what seems to be quite the popular question, it’s Akkadian.”

“God bless you.”

“It’s a language from ancient Mesopotamia, from the Akkadian Empire of the time period.”

“And what was it doing in Greece?” Abbie asked.

“The Tablet itself is quite old. I’m sure it made its rounds around the world before getting a name or being deemed dangerous. In fact, I’d venture a guess that it was hidden because there was a possibility that it may come true. Though, that’s speculation on my part.”

“You can read it, right?” Abbie asked.

Edom jerked his head back. “Pardon me, Abbie. I have to go retrieve my pride. I think you threw it outside.”

Abbie rolled her eyes and shook her head.

“Of course, I can read it!” Edom looked at the Tablet. “Akkadian is a human language. I can read human languages.”

“It was a fair question,” Ichabod said.

“Don’t tax my conscience, Lord Crane.”

“Apologies.”

“Well, to be perfectly honest, the Tablet has shown us quite a bit.” Edom kneeled next to it, “We know that the Typhon must be summoned by the powers of the monolith, which is his prison of a sorts. It’s known as the Souls of the Damned.”

“Oh, that doesn’t sound good,” Ray whispered.

“Indeed. Once it’s broken, the Typhon will be freed… and there may be no stopping it.”

“So, what can we do?” Abbie asked.

“We find the Souls before Migron does,” Edom said. “Pandora must’ve hidden them somewhere within or near Sleepy Hollow. Our evidence being the demons that have been appearing.”

“What about that rock that Golan took?”

“That’s a powerful totem that can be used as part of the ritual needed to free the Typhon from the Souls. Pandora was using it to feed the Hidden One. It’s known as Malteth’s Heart.”

“Who’s Malteth?” Ray asked.

“Evil yet powerful master of evil magic from the 2nd century. Horrible human being.”

“Why hasn’t Migron and Golan’s expedition for destruction lead them back here?” Ichabod asked.

Edom smiled and motioned toward Jenny and Joe, “We asked the same question. In addition to not having the complete Tablet, we believe that Migron has a false location of the Souls. He doesn’t know they’re here.”

“We think that Pandora took the Souls to keep them away from him,” Jenny said.

“Insurance policy?” Abbie asked.

“More like they wanted to keep power for themselves,” Edom explained.

Abbie narrowed her eyes, “Ooh. Shocking.”

Edom smiled. “Your sarcasm is well noted, Abbie.”

“There’s a little more that we should tell you,” Joe said. “Something Ed saw when we were bringing it here.”

“Thank you for the kind introduction, Joe.” Edom pointed at the Tablet. “As this is the complete Tablet, there is a part of the prophecy of how to stop the Typhon.”

“Good news there,” Sophie said.

“Indeed.”

“So, what’s it say?” Ray asked.

Edom traced his finger along the carvings near the base of the Tablet. “‘It shall come to pass, those who hath fallen from the heavens will become corrupt and shall seek the path to evil as they look to bring destruction upon the world of men.’”

“Migron and Golan,” Ichabod said, quietly.

“At least that’s clear,” Abbie replied.

“‘Yet, behold, they who bear Witness will stand against the craving death and the fallen guardians. In their task, The Warriors, The Protectors, and the Seraph will choose to stand with them. All will gather together to face the destruction and, in the end, death will fall like the night or life will shine as the blessed morn sun rises.’”

“Well, you two are the Witnesses, that’s clear,” Jenny said, looking at Abbie and Ichabod.

Edom stood up, “Since, of course, I’m the Seraph, that would leave, if I may be so bold…” he walked to Sophie and Ray, placing his hands on their shoulders, “Protectors,” he looked at Joe and Jenny, “Warriors.”

“You said that you were going to explain when we got here how me and Joe are the warriors,” Jenny said.

“Yes. Well, it’s quite simple.” Edom looked at Jenny. “You’ve nicknamed yourself, and I quote, ‘Miss Badass’.” He shrugged, “Granted, I’ve never found a reason to disagree with you but the point still stands.”

Jenny smirked and shrugged.

“And me?” Joe asked.

“Joe, you were a Marine.” Edom chuckled, “If that’s not a warrior, I don’t know what is. You’re also an EMT and, no matter your circumstances, you’ve never given up. No matter how difficult the path, you’ve trudged on. I know many who can learn from your strength.”

Joe smiled, “Thanks, Ed.”

Edom nodded.

“So, it’s going to take all of us,” Abbie said.

“Indeed.” Edom shook his head. “To face down this evil… the battle must be joined.”

“A combination of heroics and foolhardy ideas,” Ichabod said.

“Ahhh!” Edom smiled. “I never get tired of it.”

“Uh, guys?” Ray said, causing everyone to look at him. He shook his head, “Look, I don’t know about this, okay? I mean… I’m not… like all of you. I’m no one special.”

Abbie narrowed her eyes at Ray. “I’m sorry but who did Lily contact? How did we find the Pukwudgie?”

“Who faced down Diego and a demon?” Sophie asked.

“Gate,” Ray answered.

“Gate got there later. _You_ took them on first.”

“Just stared them down. My knees were knocking the whole time.”

“Here’s a tip: they always do,” Abbie said.

“Gate was a help!” Edom smiled. “That does wonders for my heart.”

“I’m just…” Ray rubbed his head. “I don’t mind helping you guys. And, yeah, I’m adjusting to the idea of this Spirit Walk stuff but… I’m no ‘prophecy’ guy. You know? The world isn’t depending on me. I’m not that guy.”

“If I may, Raymond,” Ichabod began, “we oft don’t think of ourselves as special. But circumstances make us such.”

“And if you weren’t special, Ray,” Abbie said, “you would’ve left the second Gate showed up.”

Ray chuckled. “Yeah, he is terrifying.”

“And he is so fond of you all,” Edom smiled.

Ray sobered and shook his head. “Still… I’m just a cop.”

“So was I,” Abbie shrugged.

“I was just a soldier,” Ichabod said.

“I was in a nut house,” Jenny said.

“I was just a soldier, too,” Joe said. “And I thought I would be just an EMT.”

“And being an FBI agent isn’t that glamorous, let me tell ya,” Sophie said.

“Same can be said for being an Earth-bound angel,” Edom added.

“But we get this is scary, Ray,” Abbie said.

“Indeed,” Ichabod agreed.

“And you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. If you want to leave, go home, we get it. And no one here will think less of you.”

“But,” Ichabod raised a finger, “allow me to be perfectly clear: your aid to us has been immeasurable. It is nearly impossible for us, at this stage, to do this without you. The choice is yours, of course.”

“But we hope you stick around.”

Ray took it all in. It had been insane past few days, from Cecelia leaving to Lily to the Spirit Walk and now this. He wondered if he could take it all. There was only one way to find out. He looked at everyone then smiled. He exhaled, “Ahhhh, who am I kiddin’? If I walk away now, I’d never forgive myself. I’m in.”

Edom smiled. “The more I see the strength of the human spirit… the more I am convinced that the right choice was made when I decided to stay on Earth.”

“So, what now?” Joe asked.

Edom looked back at the Tablet. “Migron will come to Sleepy Hollow and try to unleash the Typhon. We will stop him. We will find the Souls and destroy them so the Typhon can never be set free again.”

Abbie exhaled, harshly. “Looks like it’s all coming down to the wire.”

Edom nodded, “Indeed. We know what’s coming. Let us prepare.”

* * *

Abbie and Ichabod were lying in bed together that night, with their fingers intertwined.

Abbie scoffed. “Funny.”

Ichabod looked down at her, “What’s that, my love?”

“I wanted them back home where they were safe, and now… things are more dangerous than ever.”

“Par for the course.”

She thought about that. “Yeah, it is but… last time was close. What if we don’t come back from this one?”

“Then I shall endeavor to savor every minute I can with you,” he said.

She looked at him and smiled. “You always know what to say.”

“I speak from the heart.”

She lifted up and kissed him on the lips. “Keep doing that. Always. Got it?”

“As you wish.”

* * *

**_Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany._ **

The final screams of the guards echoed through the museum as Golan pulled his sword free and let the body drop to the floor.

“Why do they even bother?” Migron asked.

“It makes them feel good about trying,” Golan cleaned his blade.

Migron walked further into the museum until they came to a six-foot tall monolith seemingly made out of stone. He motioned toward it, “Golan.”

Golan sliced through the stone, causing the rock and dirt to fall away, and revealed the blood red monolith underneath.

Migron exhaled. “Souls of the Damned, the prison on the monster that will end the world.”

“Hidden in plain sight.”

“The Hidden One and Pandora proved useful after all. But they served their purpose.” Migron pulled out the Dagger of Malgin Clive, Malteth’s Heart, and the Tome of Yuddham. He brought the heart up. “It is time… for this world to be cleansed.”

Migron began to chant a spell from the book, the pages and the heart beginning to glow. Golan stood in anticipation as to what they were about to unleash.

Migron kept chanting but soon stopped. He stared at the Souls and whispered, “A fake.”

Golan looked up, startled. “What?”

“It’s a fake!” Migron slowly turned around as rage built inside of him. “The Hidden One. THAT BASTARD! HE LIED TO US! THESE ARE NOT THE SOULS!” He roared in fury and shoved the monolith into the wall, exploding it into pieces. “Nothing… but a rock.”

Golan walked in a circle. “This is impossible! How is it not here?”

Migron stared at the rock pieces and seethed, “Pandora.”

“What of her?”

“Even in death, that witch causes me grief!”

Golan eyed him, curiously.

Migron looked at Golan. “Don’t you see? If the Souls aren’t here then Pandora must’ve taken them.”

“Taken them where?”

Migron exhaled. “Perhaps she and her husband weren’t as foolish as I perceived.”

“But where would they take them?” Golan asked.

A realization hit Migron. He stared at Golan, who immediately understood.

“Our battle has shifted.” Migron marched toward the door, “We’re going to Sleepy Hollow.”

Golan looked at his leader. “Do you think… _he_ will be there?”

Migron stopped and considered his answer. “He would’ve sensed the destruction of Pandora’s Box and gone to investigate. If he’s made allies with the Witnesses, then that means this will be more of a battle than we believed it would be. And, if that’s case…” He stopped.

Golan raised an eyebrow, “If that’s the case?”

“If it is… then we are entering the final stage of this war.” Migron stared at Golan. “Prepare for combat… for there will be blood.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Yuddham" means "war" in Sanskrit.


	16. Chapter 15: Parley

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ichabod and Abbie agree to a peaceful meeting with Migron, leading to a duel of beliefs. Meanwhile, the team makes every effort to find the Souls before Migron and Golan can, with Ray taking a risky gamble of his own...

The next few days were spent combing through the area of Sleepy Hollow for any signs of the Souls of the Damned. Edom knew that it was only a matter of time before Migron arrived and began his own hunt for the Souls.

Edom was sitting at the table in Abbie and Ichabod’s house with himself and Ichabod taking a break from the search while Abbie was at work, conducting her own search. Edom was staring, blankly, when the Ichabod brought him a cup of hot tea. Edom looked up at Ichabod and smiled. “Thank you, Ichabod.”

“What troubles you?” Ichabod asked as he sat down.

Edom stared at him. “They’re coming. Migron and Golan. What troubles me is what they will do when they get here.”

“Can you defeat them?”

Edom thought about that question for a long time. He took a deep breath. “I… have no idea.”

* * *

A 2013 Rolls-Royce pulled in front of the Holiday Inn in Sleepy Hollow. Golan got out of the driver’s side then went to the backseat and opened the door for Migron.

Migron looked around at the town and exhaled. “He’s here.”

“Edom?” Golan asked.

“I can feel him.”

“We should hunt him down.”

“Not yet. We have other matters to attend to. Our brother can die later.”

* * *

Having made a quick trip to the grocery store, Edom was walking into the house when he stopped and turned around. “They’re here.”

* * *

Later that day, all of the members of Team Witness met at the Archives again to compare notes of the past few days. Edom explained his intuition that their enemies were now in Sleepy Hollow. Along with the lack of locating the Souls, it all contributed to a somber mood in the room.

“Nothing,” Jenny said, tossing maps on the table.

“That’s encouraging,” Sophie said, dejectedly.

“Hey! We’ve been trying!”

“I’m not accusing.”

“Be calm, Jenny,” Edom said.

Jenny exhaled and scratched the back of her head. “I know.” She exhaled. “It’s just… we have one thing to find! That’s it! And I wanna do it before more angels from hell show up!”

“Or another demon,” Abbie said.

“I have Gate on constant watch for the latter,” Edom said. “I’ve enlisted Ezra to keep his ears open, as well.”

“Frightening to imagine that we could be only moments away from a blitzkrieg of a demonic nature,” Ichabod said.

Ray tapped his finger on top of the table. “What if… if we’re not?”

“What do you mean?” Abbie asked.

“Okay, I’ve been thinking about this since Lily showed up. It’s a crazy-as-hell theory but I’ve gotta get it off my chest!”

“Crazy-as-hell is what we do.”

Edom looked intrigued, “The floor is yours, Raymond.”

“Okay.” Ray took a breath. “Go with me on this: the Pukwudgie was probably in the Box, right? And we’ve been seeing monsters show up only… a couple at a time. What if… I dunno, they were all weak when the Box was destroyed. Pandora could’ve caught them a long time ago, weakening them, and, when the Box was destroyed, they grew even weaker. I mean, if Gate was possessed by a witch that was all that powerful, what took him so long to show up? Maybe he was weak. The witch, too. Maybe they all are. Maybe that’s what’s been going this whole time.”

Ichabod considered all of that. “Sound thinking, Ray.”

“Look at the brain on you,” Abbie smiled.

Ray shrugged.

“So, the demons may still be about due to the Call but do not have their full strength,” Ichabod stated.

“And shutting down the Souls will make them, what?” Sophie asked. “Wander off?”

“More or less,” Edom said. “Raymond’s hypothesis is quite insightful and, in all likelihood, completely accurate. At the same time, the Souls could be slowly feeding the demons and the Typhon at the same time.”

Abbie shook her head, “Our mission’s the same as it has been.”

“Find the Souls and destroy them,” Ichabod completed the thought.

“Before our adversaries complete their own adjectives,” Edom added.

* * *

Migron and Golan sat in their hotel suite, spreading the materials accosted on the dining table then studying them.

“Do you think Edom has found the Souls?” Golan asked.

“No,” Migron shook his head. “If he had, his priority would be confronting us.”

“He knows we’re here.”

“Of course he does. I made no effort to hide from him. But it is not our brother I am concerned with.”

“Then who?” Golan asked.

Migron gazed up at Golan, “The Witnesses.”

* * *

Jenny parked her truck and walked up to a sandwich shop to grab lunch before continuing the search for the Souls. She stopped when she looked up and saw Golan getting out of a car parked against the curb. Jenny became frozen with an emotion she wasn’t used to and couldn’t stand: fear.

Golan walked up to her and stopped. “It’s interesting, this town of yours.”

Jenny didn’t know how in the hell she should respond to that. She couldn’t even bring herself to move.

“Not a large town. Not as a large as others in this country or even this state. Yet… this has become the very den of iniquity. Humans and demons alike.”

“And you’re what?” Jenny chided. “A holy warrior?”

“More so than any of you,” Golan snidely replied.

Jenny stood her ground. “I’m no saint. But from what I’ve been told, you’re not one either. Golan, right?”

Golan narrowed his eyes at her. “You remember me.”

“Hard to forget.”

Golan studied her for a few seconds. “You don’t run. You know what I’m capable of but, yet… you make no move to escape.”

“If you wanted to kill me, you would’ve done it already.” She shrugged. “Or tried.”

“If I wanted you dead, you’d be dead.”

“Better than you have tried.”

“I doubt that.”

“What the hell do you want?” she asked.

“My master wishes to waste his time and speak with the Witnesses,” he explained. “A parley, if you will.”

Jenny looked around then back at Golan. “Why?”

“For reasons he chose not to disclose to me.”

“And we should trust this why?”

“The choice is yours,” Golan answered. “He will be at the restaurant Fleming’s this evening at 8 PM. And to insure their arrival, my leader will kill all of the people there if they fail to appear.”

Jenny’s eyes widened. She scoffed. “Wow. You guys are class acts.”

“Edom is no better than us.”

“You’re wrong about that.”

Golan scoffed. “Humans. So easily deceived.” He headed back to his car, “Eight o’clock this evening. They are to come alone and without that troublesome interloper brother of ours.”

“He’ll stay out of it,” she assured. “For now.”

“Take care of your tone, human. When next we meet, you may find my sword in your rib cage.”

“But from behind, right? You don’t have the balls to kill someone face-to-face.”

Golan exhaled, silently, got in his car, and drove off.

* * *

Later that afternoon, Abbie and Ichabod were sitting at their table with Jenny, Joe, and Edom, with Jenny having just relayed the message from Golan.

“We’re going,” Abbie said.

“Absolutely,” Ichabod agreed.

“Do you two even wanna think about this?” Joe asked.

“Or talk about it?” Edom asked.

“No,” Abbie said. “People’s lives are on the line and we need to do this. Besides, I wanna know what he has to say.”

“I, too, am curious,” Ichabod nodded.

Edom sighed. “I wish I could accompany you.”

“I’m going,” Jenny declared. “I’ll watch from outside.”

“Be wary. I’m positive that Golan will be about.”

“He better be.”

“I’m going too,” Joe said.

“No, you go with Ed and keep trying to find the Souls,” Jenny advised.

“While you…”

“Joe. For once, I’m gonna ask. Please. Go with Ed.”

Joe sat back and quietly nodded his head.

Abbie exhaled. “Okay. I better go put on something nice.” She got up and headed for upstairs, “Dressing for an angel, after all.”

“How come you don’t wear nice things for me?” Edom asked.

She began walking upstairs, “You’re family. Get over it.”

Edom couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across his face as Jenny began laughing.

Ichabod shook her head and exhaled, “I love her.”

“One wonders why at times,” Edom smirked.

“I heard that!” Abbie yelled back.

* * *

Ichabod and Abbie were driving to the restaurant, dressed in fine evening attire. Ichabod was at the wheel and Abbie just stared out of the windshield. They were silent and pensive as the very notion of meeting the man who made Edom stop dead in his tracks played in their minds.

“We’re both nervous,” Abbie said, abruptly.

“Yes,” Ichabod replied. “I must admit I’m surprised to hear you say it first.”

“Figured I might as well. And I would do anything to break this extremely uncomfortable silence we have goin’ right now.”

“It does and thank you for that. Can I do anything to ease your mind, my love?”

She smiled. “You calling me ‘my love’ tends to help.”

“I hope it does,” he replied.

She sat back and exhaled. She stared at Ichabod. “After this bout with the apocalypse, why don’t we get away for a while?”

He looked at her, curiously, then back at the road. “A trip?”

“A vacation. I’d like to take one once our seven years are up, but… like us being together, I don’t wanna wait for the good things.”

“Anywhere you wish.”

She placed her hand on top of one of his hand that was on the steering wheel. He didn’t take his eyes off of the road but he did smile.

* * *

Abbie and Ichabod walked into Fleming’s and, after being greeted, the hostess lead them to a private room toward the back, closed off from the rest of the restaurant by a red door. Inside, the Witnesses found a man in a grey suit examining his menu. Migron. He had pale skin with a grey hue to it. They remembered that Golan had the same tint to his skin as well. It suddenly occurred to them Edom’s skin lacked that same tint.

Migron looked up, saw the two, and started chuckling. Abbie and Ichabod looked and saw that his eyes were a vibrant red; they almost seemed to glow. “Well, well, well,” Migron sat back. “From heaven’s mouth to the Earth’s dirt. The Witnesses.”

“And you must be… Migron,” Ichabod said.

“Indeed. Pleasure.”

“None to be had,” Abbie said.

Migron chuckled. “Have a seat.”

Ichabod and Abbie sat down, slowly.

“I didn’t know if you were both hungry or not but, please, order whatever you like.”

“I’m more of a pizza and beer kind of girl,” Abbie replied.

“I’ve grown accustomed to… Subway,” Ichabod said.

Migron smirked. “Of course. But I insist. It’s not often that I meet… God’s chosen humans.”

Abbie and Ichabod looked at each other, nervously, then back at Migron.

“Please.”

Even more cautiously, they both picked up menus and selected their meals. After they had eaten, Migron wiped his mouth and placed the napkin on the table.

“Now that we have our fill,” Migron said. “I believe there is business here we need to conduct.”

Ichabod stared at him then set his fork down. “Very well.” He interlocked his fingers and placed his hands on the table. “What shall we discuss?”

“Maybe that he’s a murdering psychopath?” Abbie asked, pointedly.

“Is that what my brother told you?” Migron asked.

“He told us enough.”

“Then what more is there to discuss?”

“Plenty,” Abbie replied. “Like why you would make a deal with the Hidden One.”

Migron stiffened then exhaled. “A… dubious agreement was reached.”

“That does make one curious,” Ichabod said. “What were you promised by the Hidden One?”

“The Souls of the Damned,” Migron answered.

“And you bought that?” Abbie asked.

“Hm. An error on my part.”

“To what end, do you seek to release the Typhon?” Ichabod asked.

Migron leaned back. “Do you know why Edom is pursuing me? Not the Lord of Heaven’s Army, the great Archangel, Michael? Or Gabriel? Or any others? Because they’re power is great and one swing of their swords could level a civilization. Such powers were not meant to be used on your mortal plane.”

“Didn’t stop you from trying,” Abbie declared.

“But, as I stated, their full power isn’t meant for you mortals. To exact the justice that is required. If it were permitted, the angels would have already descended.”

“Alas, not having your own angelic powers prevented you from carrying this out on your own,” Ichabod declared. “Being rejected as an angel would probably cause that.”

Abbie looked at Ichabod, surprised by the candor of her lover but admiring it all the same.

Migron stared at Ichabod silently for a while. “Take care with your words, Ichabod Crane.”

“Apologies,” Ichabod replied. “I’m aware that the truth does, very much, hurt.”

Migron exhaled, harshly. “I would tread very lightly were I you, failure. The only reason either of you are still alive is because I didn’t deem you worthy of death as of yet.”

“I will be more careful with the truth I speak from here on.”

Migron narrowed his eyes.

“What do you need the Souls of the Damned for?” Abbie asked. “Why the Typhon?”

Migron looked at her. “Do you understand the true danger of this world? The evil that permeates it every day?”

“This ‘fear tomorrow’ questionnaire have a point?”

“The point is that humanity has proven itself to be unworthy of the gift of the Almighty and even more unworthy of any mercy.”

Abbie leaned back and scoffed. “So, what? You want the Typhon to wipe out humanity.”

“No,” Migron replied. “I want it to prove which of humanity is worth saving.”

Abbie and Ichabod were completely caught off-guard by that.

“Of course, humanity has proven itself unworthy but not all together. There are exceptions.”

“And you’re telling me that you think that the Typhon can distinguish that?” Abbie asked.

“The worthy will save who they can and lead humanity to a greater destiny.”

“And what if you’re ‘worthy’ are killed in the crossfire?”

“Then they weren’t worthy,” Migron said, simply.

The silence was palpable between the three in the private room. Abbie and Ichabod could only think of all that could go into such a monstrous plan.

“You are tampering with forces beyond, even, your kin, Migron,” Ichabod warned. “Unleashing a monster with powers such as that the Typhon commands, not only could bring about destruction to earth, but heaven and hell, if it is not stopped. Even your rage could not blind you that much.”

“Do you presume to know me?” Migron asked, threateningly.

“We’ve met those of a similar nature to yours. Several times. From Moloch to Pandora to the Hidden One.”

Abbie nodded, “What you’re doing isn’t any different from them.”

“All have tried,” Ichabod said. “All have failed.”

Migron smiled. “Oh, is that true? I believe you left names off of your list. Or have you already forgotten your dearly departed wife, Katrina?” He looked at Abbie then back at Ichabod, “Clearly you have.”

Ichabod looked away in shame.

Abbie took a few heavy breaths and hissed out, “You bastard!”

“How long after Katrina’s death until you pursued your fellow Witness?” Migron asked. “A month? A fortnight? A day, perhaps?”

Abbie started to get up and Ichabod grabbed her arm. She looked at him and Ichabod shook his head and motioned her to sit back down, which Abbie obliged, begrudgingly.

Ichabod looked back at Migron, “You could never understand, monster,” he declared. “Your kind never does.”

“Don’t I?” Migron asked.

“No. Those who have forsaken caring, love, and decency never could.”

Migron’s face hardened again. “You try me, failure. I wouldn’t advise it.”

“I have faced Death before, Migron,” Ichabod fired back. “I don’t fear you!”

“You should, human. You _should!_ ”

“Funny you keep calling us failures,” Abbie said. “I’m not seeing a halo or wings coming off of you.”

“Humanity _is_ a failure.”

“Says the murdering, psychopathic fallen seraphim.”

Migron growled. “You dare…”

“Yeah, I do,” Abbie rerorted.

Migron took a few seconds to compose himself, though it wasn’t easy to keep his anger in check. “Humanity is the failure. What I do is necessary. Your race is a collection of murders, destroyers, and is corrupted beyond salvation.”

“I’m more than positive someone named Jesus disagreed with you.”

“The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit refuse to see you the infinite failures of your kind.”

“You, yourself, proclaimed moments ago that there are some who are redeemable,” Ichabod reminded.

“A _choice_ few of you.” Migron stared at Ichabod. “Tell me: how many people do you think would’ve believed George Washington if they all knew all he knew?”

“Few, I will admit. I hardly believed it, at first.”

“So what?” Abbie asked. “People have a hard time with believing what they can’t see. That’s their choice and free will. Is that who you’re killing? People who refuse to believe?”

“Not just them.”

“Oh, right. The ‘unworthy’.”

“The worthy must reveal themselves.” Migron looked at them both. “You two… you are worthy. It is a shame we must fight each other.”

Abbie couldn’t stop herself from asking, “Worthy how?”

“Did you not overcome Moloch?” Migron asked. “Katrina? The Hidden One and Pandora? What other monstrosities threatened to consume Sleepy Hollow? Did you not combat them, as well, and prevail?”

“It is our task,” Ichabod replied.

“Is it?” Migron looked at Abbie. “Is it _your_ task? To _not_ have a normal life? Is this a task that you willing agreed to?”

Abbie remembered her initial reluctance when all of this first began. It was hard to believe that this was her destiny and that she couldn’t turn her back on it. It was a lot to deal with and it did scare her. But she wouldn’t let Migron see that. “You’re damn right, I did.”

“For the mission? To be a Witness? For your mentor who was killed by the Headless Horseman?” Migron looked at Ichabod then back at Abbie. “Or for him?”

Abbie fell silent. “What’s the difference to you?”

“There is none. That’s the point. No matter why, you both committed yourselves to this mission. I’ve seen humans swear by whatever god they serve to a cause, commit to it, then run away as if those vows meant nothing. But humans like you are few and far between.”

“Humans feel fear,” Abbie argued. “They get scared. It happens.”

“Do you? Are you afraid? At this moment? I think not. You don’t even fear throwing your life in harm’s way for the ones you love.” Migron looked at Ichabod, “And you… you are no different. Tell me: how long did you love Abigail before you couldn’t keep it in any longer? Was it because, unlike the rest of your race, you cared more about her feelings in the situation than your own?”

Ichabod opened his mouth. “It wasn’t… purely for that reason.”

“Honesty. Another trait your kind lacks these days.”

“People can be better,” Abbie argued.

“They can be,” Migron admitted. “But will they? I will make them be better because only those who have the strength of will and strength of conviction will prevail through the tribulation that will spread across the Earth. They will lead humanity to a better future, to being a better race.”

Abbie had had just about enough of this nonsense. “You can try to spin this any way you want but the fact is the same that you’re making yourself the judge, jury, and executioner. You’re just using the Typhon to do the last part. You’re basically making yourself a god!”

Migron’s eyes widened. “I’m doing nothing of the sort! I’m doing what needs to be done, what _must_ be done!”

“You’ve murdered innocent people, your own brethren!” Ichabod said, harshly.

Migron looked away from them, “Necessary deaths.”

“Necessary? You’re an angel. A warrior created by God. You’ve forsaken all that you were sworn to uphold and protect. You spit upon the very oaths you once…”

“I KNOW WHAT I’VE DONE!” Migron shouted, jumping to his feet. He took a few deep breaths and slowly sat back down. “I am doing… what must be done. You all need to… atone.”

Ichabod stared at Migron, quietly for a long time. “And what of you?”

Migron exhaled. “When I am proven correct, my transgressions will be forgiven.”

“You’ll never convince me of that,” Abbie said.

“It’s not for you to judge me.”

“Wow. I can’t believe that you could form that phrase in your mind without an aneurysm.”

“Truly, it is a shame that we combat each other,” Migron said. “I believe we have very much in common.”

Abbie scoffed, “Like hell.”

“No, he’s correct,” Ichabod said. “We believe that there is an end coming. Where we differ, however, is what that end is and what it means.”

“History will determine who was correct,” Migron insisted.

“Yes. Indeed, it will.” Ichabod stood up, “I believe that will be all for this evening.” He offered his hand Abbie, “Come, my love. We have much to do, as does our gracious host.”

“Yeah,” Abbie said. She took Ichabod’s hand and stood up, “Let’s get out of here.”

Migron looked at them both, “You both claim that I have no halo or wings. But… neither does Edom.”

“Yes,” Ichabod agreed. “But, unlike him, he believes that any atonement humanity requires can be achieved on their own. Not through misguided, ill-conceived blood and violence. Also, of all those he believes that amends must be made, he places himself, first and foremost, on that list. And he believes that none other must pay for the transgressions he committed. Perhaps… he is superior to you in more ways than we previously perceived.”

Migron slowly lifted his chin and let out a hard grunt.

“Good evening, Migron.” Ichabod and Abbie turned and left the room, leaving Migron alone at the table.

* * *

Just after 11 PM, Ray was in his home, staring at the Ring of Bellerophon. He signed it out of evidence again under the guise of looking into its origins further to get a better understand of the case. He knew what everyone said about not putting it on was right, but, with their enemies in town, it was more important than ever that they find the Souls.

Ray took a deep breath and grabbed the ring, closing his fist around it. He started pacing back and forth to decide if he was going to go through with this. He stopped, opened his palm, and stared at the ring. He placed the ring on tip of his right middle finger and stopped. “Sorry, guys.”

He forced the ring in one quick motion.

The pain was immediate and excoriating and Ray screamed as he grabbed his wrist. His mind was flooded with visions of all kinds; angels, demons, monsters, ancient cities, and lost civilizations. He saw crimes committed of every sort under the name of every god that has ever been declared. He saw horrors of the worst kind and the most twisted nightmares that no human could ever perceive on their own. With all of the pain and visions, Ray could feel the ring, itself, trying to reach inside his mind.

“L-Listen to me, you stupid fashion accessory!” Ray growled out. “Y-You got to control other people but this is my brain! I just wanna know where the damn Souls are and you can go back to Kay Jewelers!” He suddenly had a vision of a town he recognized; he saw that there was a pillar buried in catacombs somewhere within it. He growled as he ripped the ring off.

Ray fell to the ground, almost slipping into unconsciousness. He was holding his right hand close to him, trying to let of all of the pain slowly fall away. It wasn’t fading as fast as he would’ve liked it to. But that didn’t matter. He had new information. Still trying to catch his breath and in a lot of pain, he pushed himself up, grabbed his phone, and dialed Sophie.

“ _Ray, what’s up?_ ” Sophie answered.

“Sophie,” Ray said, practically growling. He was so hoarse from the screaming and the pain was impossible to keep to himself.

“ _Ray? What’s wrong…_ ”

“Pearl Creek.”

“ _What?_ ”

“The Souls of the Damned. It’s in Pearl Creek.”


	17. Chapter 16: Among the Tombstones

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to information from Ray, Team Witness goes to find the Souls and have a violent encounter with Golan.

The team met later that night back in the Archives. Edom was pacing back and forth while Ray sat in a chair with his head bowed and his hand pressed to his forehead.

“I can’t say that I’m thrilled with your choice of action, Raymond,” Edom said.

“Yeah, it wasn’t the smartest choice,” Ray replied, still having his head lowered. “Feels like the hangover of 2010.”

“The ‘hangover of 2010’?” Ichabod asked.

“You guys need to meet my cousin. Between the two of us, have we got stories.”

“God knows what could’ve happened to you, Ray,” Abbie said, disapprovingly. “Doing something like just isn’t safe. You had no idea what could’ve happened to you.”

“Again, you need to meet my cousin.”

“Where is Pearl Creek?” Edom asked.

“It’s a ghost town about two hours north of here,” Jenny said.

“Isn’t there a cemetery out that way?” Sophie asked.

Abbie nodded, “Yeah. Old as hell cemetery.”

“What we’re gonna do with the Souls once we find them?”

“We have to destroy them,” Edom said. “And, thanks to Joe and Jenny, I know of a way. My fair Jennifer.”

Jenny walked up and a white amulet with carvings on it.

“And this would be?” Ichabod asked.

Jenny set the amulet on the table, “We found out it’s called the Justice. It’s kinda like one of those old rune stones, just specially made to destroy the Souls.”

Edom chuckled, “Turns out I had it all along in one of my vaults! Ha! Who knew?”

Everyone stared at him.

Edom cleared his throat, “Erm. Anyway. This requires the blood of a holy warrior to pierce the souls and destroy them.” He looked at Abbie and Ichabod, “And in case any suspense was mounting, that would mean you two.”

Abbie stared at the knife. “So me or Crane have to…”

“I would suggest slicing your palms with a blade, allowing blood to fall on the amulet, and slamming against the accursed monolith.”

“Ow.”

“Quite.”

“I just wanna make sure, this isn’t gonna make Abbie die or go missing again, will it?” Jenny asked. “Because I really, _really_ can’t take that again.”

Edom shrugged, “Well…”

“Absolutely not!” Ichabod said, immediately, getting everyone’s attention. “If that is the price we must pay for this victory, it isn’t worth paying. We will simply find another solution or hide the Souls away somewhere where they shall never be found. I will never consistent to a plan of that nature! If that is the case, another method will be found. That is my first, last, and only word on the matter and no amount of discussion will move me from that position.”

Everyone in the room was impressed with Ichabod’s passion. Abbie found herself falling for him all over again. She wondered how often he was going to able to make her do that. She looked forward to it.

Edom smiled. “I was only going to say, no, it doesn’t require Abbie’s death. Just a bit of blood.”

“Like a blood brothers ritual,” Ray surmised.

“Exactly. Perhaps, not even that much. For all we know, pricking your thumbs might work.”

Ichabod stiffened. “Ah.” He tried to fight the slight shade of red coming to his cheeks.

Edom couldn’t stop his smile from spreading. “But good to see you are rock solid in your position, Ichabod.”

“Yeah, it is,” Abbie smiled at Ichabod.

Ichabod smiled back at her.

“Back to the matter at hand,” Edom said, “the amulet is not all that dissimilar from my medallion. It was created by another angel for the purpose of giving mankind a fighting chance. It’s part of a ritual to quell the Typhon and weaken it. Then kill it. Of course, to do so, we need the Souls themselves.”

“Should we go now?” Joe asked.

“It might be best,” Ichabod said. “The sooner we acquire the Souls…”

“The sooner we end this,” Abbie finished. “And we need this done.”

“So, we go, get the Souls, and bring them back here,” Jenny said.

“Anyone get the feeling that it won’t be that easy?” Sophie asked.

“I do know that Migron and Golan will make their own movements,” Edom said. “They may even know where the Souls are already.”

“So, they’ll come after us?” Joe asked.

“Yes. Sooner or later.” Edom walked over to the table, reached in his bag, and pulled out a decorative box. “But I’m more concerned about all of you.”

“Ed, what is that?” Abbie asked.

“Protection.” Edom opened the box to reveal two daggers, modeled in the style of 2nd century Roman pugios. “I didn’t have these at the time Migron and Golan arrived in Sleepy Hollow. My courier didn’t arrive until you both were already at dinner with Migron. Otherwise, I would’ve made you take them with you.”

“There’s nothing to forgive just…” Ichabod said.

“What are these exactly?” Abbie asked.

Edom sighed. “Their true name is the _dhubih alshshrr_. It’s Arabic, meaning ‘slay evil.’ I call them the Redeemers.”

“And these do…”

Edom stared at her. “They are capable of killing angels in one strike.”

“Edom…” Ichabod said.

“But the caveat is… only holy warriors can wield them to their full potential.” Edom stared at Ichabod and Abbie. “Only the two of you.”

“And you wish us to do what?”

“Take them. I have the power to attack and maybe defeat Golan and Migron, individually, but not enough power to fight them both, I don’t believe.”

“So, what if they get these from us and use them on you?” Abbie asked.

“A necessary risk,” Edom said. “At any rate, I believe it’s about time the three of us went to face our judgement.”

“Ed,” Abbie sighed, disappointedly.

“Scold me for my attitude later, Abigail. For now, we must go. To Pearl Creek.”

* * *

Golan stood in the shadows outside of the Archives, masking himself in order to prevent Edom from sensing him. He waited to see any signs of movement from his enemies.

* * *

Just before 1 AM, Golan took note of an exodus of the occupants of Archives. He pulled out his cell phone and made a phone call to Migron.

The team took two vehicles and arrived at Pearl Creek just after 3 AM. They parked outside of town and started having a look around.

“This is unsettling to say the least,” Ichabod said.

“No kidding,” Abbie looked around. “Why am I getting a… skin-crawling feeling?”

“Probably because we’re not alone,” Edom said.

“What do you mean?” Sophie asked.

“There are more than a few demons here. Probably responding the Souls’ energy in the area.”

“Great,” Abbie groaned.

“Fret not.” Edom smiled. “They are weaklings and too afraid to attack us. Also, we are not without our own protection.” He motioned to their right.

Everyone looked to see a large shadow moving through the forest.

Gate.

Abbie smiled. “For someone I thought was gonna kill us when we first met him, I’m so glad he’s here.”

They made their way through the town, not finding anything other than a few minor demons that were too afraid to approach them upon sensing Edom’s station and Gate’s presence. The team kept going with their minds on their tasks and not the dangers around them.

To cover a greater area, they decided to break into two groups; Edom, Abbie, and Ichabod stayed to search the town while Jenny, Joe, Sophie, and Ray headed over the cemetery outside of town. The team that took the cemetery didn’t worry as much about the demons as Gate was still close by.

Ichabod, Abbie, and Edom were investigating the houses in town but were coming up short in their search.

“This is tedious,” Ichabod said.

“You should try looking for the Sword of Excalibur through 14th century England,” Edom said. He scoffed. “ _That_ was a trek.”

“I’ll bet,” Abbie said. “Where was it?”

Edom paused. “The second I find it, I’ll let you know.” He walked over and looked down and felt a mysterious power coming from the floor. He turned his head to the side, slightly. “Hm?” He surged some of his own power and broke the spell on the floor, revealing a trap door. “Eureka!” He pulled the trap door happened, showing a tunnel. “The catacombs Ray saw.”

“Not bad, Ed,” Abbie said.

“Why, thank you, Agent Mills,” Edom said. “Shall we?”

Abbie headed down the ladder first, “Let’s go.”

Edom stared at her. “Huh.”

“What is it?” Ichabod asked.

“Usually, I’m the first one down a ladder into dark pit that has no discernable direction. I was just getting used to Jenny doing that.”

Ichabod smiled. “I’m rather used to it.”

* * *

Jenny, Joe, Sophie, and Ray were walking through the cemetery, flashlights going to and fro to see if they found the Souls or anything resembling them.

“This is getting ridiculous,” Joe said.

“Ray, you couldn’t see exactly where they were?” Jenny asked.

“Nope,” Ray said. “Just catacombs. Wherever the catacombs are. Still dealing with the headache of seeing that much.”

Sophie exhaled, “Well, hell, you got us this far.”

“She’s right,” Joe said. He looked up and saw an old mausoleum. “Let’s try there.”

Ray screamed in pain, suddenly, causing everyone to look at him. They looked to see a knife lodged in his shoulder. Ray fell to the ground, clutching at his shoulder.

“RAY!” Sophie screamed.

Jenny looked up to see Golan approaching. “Oh, son of a bitch!” She drew her gun and started firing at him but Golan dodged the bullets.

“Gate, if you’re around, we could use some help!” Joe shouted.

Out of nowhere, Gate rushed in front of the group, cutting off Golan’s chance to advance.

“Accursed mongrel,” Golan said. He summoned his sword, causing it to appear out of thin air. “You will die this night.”

* * *

Abbie, Ichabod, and Edom walked through the catacombs underneath the house. The tight, dark space reminded Ichabod and Abbie of all of the times they had been in situations that were similar to this, including searching for their own sword.

Abbie smiled and looked back at Edom, “Did you ever look for Excalibur in a cave?”

“Cave, castle, beach, underwater,” Edom smiled. “I’m starting the think the Lady of the Lake took it back and didn’t tell me.”

“You’ve met the Lady of the Lake?” Ichabod asked.

“You’d be surprised who I’ve met.”

“I’m still on the Edgar Allan Poe thing,” Abbie said.

“You’re not alone,” Ichabod added.

They soon arrived at a chamber, the size of small bedroom. They looked against the far wall and saw a blood red obelisk that looked as though it was made of glass.

“Whoa,” Abbie said.

Ichabod slowly approached it but stopped just short of touching it. “There is a great… evil within this.”

“Yeah, no kidding. I can… almost feel it. Like it could touch me.”

“Best we remove it, then,” Edom said. “We can…” He shot his attention back down the tunnel. He quietly seethed out, “Golan.”

“He’s here?” Abbie said.

“No,” Edom said. “He’s in the town somewhere.” His eyes went wide. “Jenny! Joe!”

“You have to go help them!”

Edom looked at Abbie, “But…”

“We can take the Souls,” Abbie said. “We’ll get them in the truck and come back.”

“No,” Edom said. He sighed. “Take the Souls and get them somewhere safe. Not the Archives. They probably know about that place.”

“What about your home?” Ichabod asked.

“That should be fine,” Edom said. “Get them somewhere safe and destroy them.” He raised his medallion and let a light cover them. “That should cover for a little while, shield Golan and Migron from sensing you or the Souls. But it won’t last long, you must move quickly.” He turned to leave but stopped. He turned back around and looked at Abbie and Ichabod. “I always knew the day would come when the Witnesses would arise. I long suspected that it may be you, Ichabod. I’m glad I was right.” He looked at Abbie, “I’m even happier to know that she is your partner on this journey. You make each other strong.”

“Ed,” Abbie said, suspiciously. “Stop talking like you’re saying good-bye.”

Edom stared at her and gave a sad smile. “Look out for Gate for me, please? He’s stubborn and can eat his weight in food in a week but he’s a good dire wolf all the same.”

“Sir Edom…” Ichabod said.

“And to respond your statement, Abbie… yes. This is good-bye.” Edom turned and ran back down the tunnel using his angelic speed.

* * *

Gate charged at Golan, using his speed and tactics to avoid being killed by the corrupt angel’s sword. Jenny and the others helped Ray out of the line of fire and they made it to the mausoleum, stopping at the door. They sat Ray on the ground as he kept trying to deal with his wound.

“Oh, God,” Sophie said.

“Take it out!” Ray grunted it out.

“Are you sure?” Jenny asked.

“Do it!”

Jenny sighed, grabbed the knife handle, and yanked it in one motion, causing Ray to scream out loud.

“Son of a…” Ray grunted.

Joe took off his jacket then his shirt and they used the shirt to patch up the wound as best they could. Joe put his jacket back on afterward.

“Definitely something me and my cousin _haven’t_ done,” Ray grunted out. “But, to be fair, not for lack of trying.”

“What now?” Sophie asked.

Jenny looked around the corner of the mausoleum and saw Gate still putting up the best fight he could. But Golan was starting to gain ground. “All of you stay here,” Jenny ordered.

“‘Stay here’?” Joe asked.

“Yeah.” Jenny hurried from the mausoleum, back toward the fight.

“Your girlfriend is crazy,” Ray said.

“Yes, she is,” Joe said. He looked at Sophie. “Get him out of here.”

“Wait, what?” Sophie asked.

“Take him back to the truck and get out of here.” Joe hurried off back to the fight, as well.

Joe caught up with Jenny as she was ducked behind a tombstone to ready her gun.

“You just had to be stupid with me?” Jenny asked.

“Side effect from being in love with you,” Joe admitted, drawing his own gun.

She stared at him, for a few seconds.

“Something wrong?”

“No, I just… I like to hear that. Sometimes, I don’t realize how much until I do.” Jenny looked around the tombstone then back at Joe. “Ready?”

Joe shook his head, “Nope!”

They rushed from behind the tombstone and started firing their guns at Golan. Golan had just kicked Gate across the cemetery and he was hit by two bullets. He turned around and looked at Joe and Jenny. Golan rushed at them, shoulder-tackled Joe and sent him to the ground. Golan knocked the gun out of Jenny’s hand and slapped her across the face.

Golan grabbed Jenny by the throat and picked her up. “I’m starting to regret not killing you when I had the chance.” He threw her to the ground.

Jenny coughed as she grabbed her throat. “You’d be surprised how often I hear that.”

Golan looked at Joe then at Jenny. “I wonder whom my brother will miss more.”

Joe got up and threw his arms around Golan, attempting to put him in a choke hold.

“Pathetic.” Golan grabbed Joe with one hand and easily flipped him over. He stumped down on Joe’s chest. “Did you really think that would work?”

“No,” Joe admitted, painfully.

“Humans. So stupid.” Golan lifted his sword up.

“NO!” Jenny shouted.

Golan looked over at her.

Jenny pushed herself up to her feet. “You wanna kill someone, kill me.”

“Jenny!” Joe shouted.

“You wanna hurt Edom? You kill me. He’s…” Jenny stopped. “He’s been like a father to me. And, he’ll never say it because he respects my dad, but he knows I’m a daughter to him.”

Golan stared at her.

“Kill me. Let Joe go and kill me.”

Golan moved from his foot from off of Joe, leading Joe to cough as he tried to get air back in his lungs. The more Joe coughed, the more he realized he probably had cracked ribs.

Golan walked over and Jenny stared defiance right at him. “Hm,” Golan said. “At least, you have the courage to die on your feet.”

“I always figured that’s how I would go,” Jenny said, “But I want you to know… my sister, Ichabod, Edom. They’re gonna kick your ass.”

Golan pointed the tip of his sword at her sternum. “I don’t think so.”

“GOLAN!” Edom’s voice echoed through the cemetery.

Jenny looked behind Golan, across the cemetery at Edom, and she breathed a quick sigh of relief. Golan, slowly, turned around and, for the first time in decades, laid eyes on his brother. Edom stood with his sword in hand, staring daggers at Golan.

“Leave her alone,” Edom said, menacingly.

“Edom,” Golan growled.

Edom began walking toward Golan.

Golan saw the determination in his stride. “Are you sure you wish to die this night?”

“I can’t say I’m looking forward to it,” Edom said, “but we all have to die some time.”

“True words.”

Edom ran at Golan, who charged in return. Once they were close to each other, they swung their swords that collided in a brilliant light. The force of power they unleashed sent Jenny flying backward and knocked Joe away as well. Edom and Golan continued to fight and, every time their swords collided, there was a flash of light and a push of force; it wasn’t as powerful as their initial clash but still strong.

Jenny slowly got up and looked at Edom. Edom caught sight of her and motioned toward Gate. Jenny moved over to the wolf and patted him, “Gate! Gate?”

Gate slowly opened his eyes and whined.

“Yeah, you and me both. Can you stand?”

Gate gave a weak nod.

Joe walked over, his arm pressed against his core. “What do we do?”

“GO!” Edom screamed.

All three looked at Edom.

“What?” Jenny asked.

“Get out of here!” Edom shouted. “Find your sister and Ichabod!”

“But what about…”

“Jenny, go!”

Joe looked and saw that Sophie and Ray had just disappeared from sight, heading back to the town.

Edom kicked Golan away and dashed over to Jenny and Joe. “They have the Souls,” he whispered.

“I don’t give a damn about the Souls,” Jenny said. “I give a damn about you.”

“I have to do this. Take the Souls and destroy them. Make this worth it.”

“I’m not going anywhere without you!”

Edom closed his eyes. “Yes. You are.” He opened his eyes and swiftly punched her in the gut, knocking her out. He caught her before she hit the ground. Edom looked at Joe and Gate, “Get out of here. Now.”

“Ed…” Joe said.

“Go. Please. I wish to protect my family.”

Joe stared at him for a few seconds but nodded, reluctantly.

Edom looked at Gate, “Can you carry Jenny and keep going?”

Gate nodded.

Edom put Jenny’s unconscious body on Gate’s back. “Carry Joe, too.”

Gate again nodded but whined, ruefully.

“This must happen, Gate. Go.”

Joe climbed on top of Gate; Gate gave one more, sorrowful look at Edom.

“Go,” Edom ordered.

Gate started running while Joe hung on, making sure he stayed on top of Gate and that Jenny did as well.

* * *

Edom turned around to see Golan was starting to get up. Edom started walking towards Golan when he stopped and exhaled, regrettably.

“Well, it’s been a long time.” Edom turned around to find Migron standing his arms folded.

“Edom,” Migron said.

“Migron.”

“Do you truly plan to fight us both?”

“Am I not holding my sword?” Edom asked.

Migron stared at Edom’s sword then looked at Edom. “Where are the Witnesses?”

“Witnesses to what?” Edom asked. “Was there a crime in the area that I’m not aware of?”

“Ah, that biting wit of yours. How I _haven’t_ missed it.”

“Really? Others seem to love it.”

Golan got back to his feet, “You will tell us where they are, bastard!”

“That title is incorrect,” Edom replied. “I know who my Father is. It is the two of you who have forgotten.”

“We’ve forgotten nothing, pariah,” Migron said. “We are on the path to make mankind worthy of His love.”

“You know nothing.”

“Where are the Witnesses? I shall not ask you again.”

Edom smiled, “Why don’t you fly and find them?” He gasped then smirked. “Oh. Wait.”

Migron scowled. “I see you’re enjoying yourself, Edom.” He summoned his sword. “I shall have to change that.”

* * *

Ichabod and Abbie managed to get the Souls to her SUV and into the backseat. They looked up to see Joe riding up on Gate, holding an unconscious Jenny, and Sophie was helping Ray while he was bleeding from his shoulder.

“What the hell happened?” Abbie asked.

“Golan showed up,” Joe said, hopping off of Gate and getting Jenny down.

“We need to get Ray to the hospital,” Sophie said.

“Why’s Jenny unconscious?” Abbie asked.

“Ed,” Joe answered.

“Hey, wait a second,” Ray said. “Where _is_ Ed?”

Joe took a second. “He’s giving us a chance to run.”

“We’re not leaving him!”

“We most certainly are not!” Ichabod said.

“We have to,” Joe said.

“Joe…” Abbie said.

“Abbie!” Joe said. “He punched Jenny in the gut to knock her out to get her outta here. I don’t want to do this, either, but he hit Jenny! Ed _hit_ Jenny! Do you get that?”

Abbie stopped and nodded, “Yeah.”

They looked toward the cemetery and saw a bright flash of light.

Abbie shook her head, “We gotta go.”

Everyone looked at her.

“We gotta go. Come on! Let’s go!”

They all got into the two vehicles and drove off back for Sleepy Hollow.

* * *

Edom was thrown to the ground, his sword falling with him.

Migron and Golan stood over him then looked around. Migron scanned the surrounding area. “I don’t sense anything. No power, no people.”

“They’re gone,” Golan said. He looked at Edom, “He was stalling. They abandoned you.”

“No,” Edom said. “They chose the correct course. Something the three of us know very little about.”

Migron stared back toward the town. “It appears I’ve greatly underestimated the will of these humans.”

* * *

After getting back to Sleepy Hollow, Joe drove the truck with Jenny, Sophie, and Ray to the hospital while Ichabod and Abbie took the Souls back to their house, taking the Souls down to the basement.

An hour and a half later, Abbie and Ichabod sat on the stairs to the basement, silently gazing at the Souls. Abbie was sitting on the bottom step and Ichabod sat on the above, behind her while he had his arms around her.

Abbie was holding the Justice amulet. “I know what we’re supposed to do.”

“Yes,” Ichabod said.

“But our friend is being held by those bastards.”

He nodded.

“Crane. We can’t leave Ed with them.”

“No, we most certainly cannot.”

The door to the basement opened and Jenny and Joe walked down. They sat on the steps, above Ichabod and Abbie.

“How’s Ray?” Abbie asked.

“Lost a lot of blood but he should recover okay,” Jenny said. “He’ll have to take some time off. Lot of damage to his right shoulder.”

“Sophie’s gonna stay with him tonight,” Joe said. “She’ll let us know if something happens.”

Abbie nodded, “Good.” She stared at her sister. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m pissed off, that’s how I’m feeling!” Jenny said, immediately. “I’m pissed, I’m mad and… I can’t believe that he actually hit me.”

“It was to save your life, Jenny,” Ichabod said.

“Yeah and just who the hell does he think he is?! Saving my life!”

Abbie smiled, “Ed was looking out for you. We aren’t used to that.”

Jenny seethed as tears started falling down her face. “He should’ve let me stay with him.”

“He did what believed to be right,” Ichabod said. “We cannot fault him for that.”

“Like hell, we can’t.”

Joe put his arm around Jenny as more tears fell.

“We can’t destroy the Souls,” Jenny said, quietly.

“Not while Ed’s with those sons of bitches, we won’t,” Abbie agreed.

“You don’t think they killed him?” Joe asked.

“I’m hoping not.”

“What’s the plan?” Jenny asked.

“We have to save Ed,” Abbie said, “however we can. And use the Souls to do it.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Joe said. “So, we’re going to use these Souls, that could unleash a monster that ends the world, but we’re going to use it as a bargaining chip to save Ed?”

“That’s about it,” Jenny nodded.

Joe nodded, “Sounds like a plan. I like it. What do we do?”

“We bargain. Then? We take those bastards down.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Ichabod said.

* * *

In small shack outside of Sleepy Hollow, Edom was strung up by his wrists. He was kneeling on the ground in the middle of a binding circle to keep his powers at bay. Golan was sitting in a chair, staring at Edom, while Migron circled around his enemy.

“Where are the Witnesses?” Migron asked.

Edom said nothing.

“Where are the Souls?”

No response.

Migron stared at Edom then slapped him.

Edom slowly lifted his head up. “Why don’t you go visit them yourself?”

“You say they haven’t abandoned you,” Migron said, “but we would’ve seen if the Souls were destroyed. That power would’ve been felt dissipating. So, where are they?”

“They who? The Souls or the Witnesses? You need to be specific.”

Migron punched Edom across the face. “Where?”

“I don’t know.” Edom chuckled. “What you say is true. If they destroyed them, we would’ve felt that.”

Migron thought it over. “They wish to save you. Golan told me of the one known as Jennifer. She is fond of you. They would risk the world, just to save you.”

Edom shook his head. “The most depressing fact is that you’re probably right.”

Migron grabbed Edom by the throat and forced Edom’s face upward. “Why are they so loyal to you? What haven’t you told them?”

Edom smiled through his pain. “That’s just it. I’ve confessed all of my sins to them. You ask why they are so loyal to me. My answer is simplicity itself, brother: I have absolutely no idea.”

Migron released his grip and stepped away from Edom.

“What shall we do now, leader?” Golan asked. “Surely, the Witnesses will destroy the Souls soon.”

Migron thought about the conversation he had with Ichabod and Abbie just hours ago. “No, they will want to save him.”

“Then we shall simply find them, kill them, and reclaim the Souls,” Golan said.

“If they were that easy to dispose of, the Hidden One would’ve done it beforehand,” Migron reminded.

“Then what shall we do, leader?” Golan asked.

“We will seek them out and set terms and conditions that they will follow.” Migron looked at Edom, “Or I will slaughter you in front of them.”

“And if they do not agree? What if they try to fight?”

“I know of a way to combat them,” Migron said. He looked toward the door. “Come forth.”

The door to the shack opened and heavy footsteps echoed through the shack.

Golan’s eyes widened in surprise at the new guest

Edom looked and was horrified by what he saw. “No…” he said, shakily.

Migron smiled. “Hello, Sir Van Brunt.”

The Headless Horseman took one more step forward.

“Tell me: would you at all still be interested in killing Ichabod Crane?”


	18. Chapter 17: These Dark Hours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Edom captured by Migron and Golan, the team concocts a plan to save him. Abbie and Jenny have a heavy talk with their father.

A couple of days had passed since the Souls were recovered and everyone was preoccupied with how best to save Edom and destroy the Souls. Abbie was sitting her office, staring blankly at her computer screen. Part of her hated being at work but she was hoping the distraction would help her come up with a foolproof plan to save Edom or, at the very least, help her relax. It wasn’t working.

Her door opened and Sophie came in.

Abbie looked at Sophie, “Hey.”

Sophie walked to the window and looked out of it. She stared out of it for a while before shaking her head. “How have you done this long? Having people you care about hurt or missing or captured? You don’t even know if they’re alive or dead.”

Abbie thought about her answer and came to the only she could. “As harsh as this sounds, you kinda get used to it. You just learn to work through it.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of.” Sophie took a breath. “Okay. What are we doing? What’s our next move?”

“We’re working on that.” Abbie sat, lost in thought for a few seconds, then looked back at Sophie. “How’s Ray?”

“Still in pain. He wants to know what the next move is.”

“Me and Crane are gonna come see him after I get off. Is that okay?”

“Yeah. I’m probably getting on his nerves.”

“I seriously doubt that.”

Sophie stared at her friend, “Abbie… what do we do?”

Abbie looked back at her, “We end this. That’s what we do.”

* * *

Abbie, Ichabod, and Sophie were at the hospital that afternoon, checking up on Ray. Ray was lying in the bed with heavy bandages around his shoulder and his arm in a sling.

“How are you feeling?” Abbie asked Ray.

“Wrecked,” Ray said. “But I’ll bounce back. Good thing I don’t get sick and have vacation saved up.”

“We’ve already covered things with the sheriff’s department. Help alleviate some of that off time. Officially, you were working with the Bureau on a case.”

Ray smiled. “Thanks.”

“And thank you for all of your aid in this venture, Ray,” Ichabod said.

“Happy to. But, business: how are you gonna save Ed?”

“Working on that,” Abbie answered.

“If you need something, let me know,” Ray added.

“You’ve got a hole in shoulder.”

“And it looks I got two shoulders,” Ray replied. “Let me know if you need anything.”

Abbie felt her phone ring. She pulled it out of her pocket and saw Ezra’s number. “It’s my dad.” She looked at everyone. “I should take this.”

“It would probably be best if we let Ray continue recovering,” Ichabod said.

“I’ll hang around a while,” Sophie said.

Abbie nodded at her. She looked at Ray, “Get better.”

“That’s the plan,” Ray smiled.

Ichabod and Abbie walked outside and Abbie called her father back. They spoke while she and Ichabod walked to her truck.

“I can drive,” Ichabod said.

“Thanks,” Abbie said, quickly, handing him the keys.

They got in the SUV, Ichabod started it up, and started to drive. When they were down the road a bit, Abbie ended her call and leaned back, looking out of the passenger window.

“Do you wish to discuss it?” Ichabod asked.

Abbie shook her head, “He wants to talk.”

Ichabod looked at her then back at the road. “Ah. And what shall you do?”

She thought about it. “I don’t know. He wants to talk to me _and_ Jenny.” She shook her head, “But we have enough to deal with. We don’t have time for this.”

“Perhaps. But… perhaps… you both should talk to Mr. Mills before we go forward with anything else.”

She looked at him. “You really think so?”

“We’ve been in perpetual motion for a while now but perhaps a chance to make all feelings clear is what’s needed.” He smiled. “It worked for us.”

She smiled. “Yeah, it did.” She took a deep breath. “Alright. But tonight. We need to get moving on saving Edom.”

“Agreed. You’ll meet with your father and I’ll continue devising a way to rescue Edom.”

She stared at him. “Thank you.”

“It’s my pleasure.”

* * *

That night, Abbie and Jenny went to a diner where Ezra was already waiting for them. When he looked up and saw his daughters, Ezra stood up immediately.

“Thanks for meeting me,” Ezra said.

“This better be good, Dad,” Jenny said. “We’re busy right now.”

“Jenny,” Abbie chided.

Jenny took a breath. “Yeah, yeah.”

“Have a seat,” Ezra said. All three of them sat down. “I just wanted to talk more about… everything.” He sighed. “I almost lost you both with that damn box.”

“That was a little scary,” Abbie admitted.

“More than a little,” Jenny added.

“I wanted to talk you both about…” Ezra started, “about what we were getting to before: getting to know each other again.”

Jenny scoffed. “And you’re picking _now_ to bring this up?”

“Things are headed down a seriously dangerous road now. I just don’t want it to take us down that road without talking this out first.”

Jenny rolled her eyes.

“Okay, Dad, look,” Abbie said, “this isn’t the best time for all of this, but we get where you’re coming from.”

Jenny glared at her sister.

Abbie saw her glare and looked back at her father. “ _I_ get where you’re coming from,” she corrected. “It’s not easy but I get it.”

Ezra nodded, “Thank you, Abbie.” He looked at Jenny. “Is there anything I can do to make this better, right now?”

“No, you can’t!” Jenny said. “You keep disappearing time and time again.” She motioned toward Abbie, “Then you tried to play ‘Dad’ when she finally gets over herself and admits that she’s in love with Crane.”

This time it was Abbie’s turn to roll her eyes.

“And the only reason you knew about that was because Ed had to call you first!” Jenny declared. “And you know Ed’s been a like dad for us. Even when we get on his last nerves and don’t listen to him.”

That point, however, Abbie couldn’t dispute at all.

“You want all of the benefits and forgiveness of being a father when you haven’t earned it all the way yet.”

Ezra stared at her, for a while. “I know.”

Abbie and Jenny then saw a tear roll down Ezra’s cheek.

“But I keep seeing my girls almost die or somebody trying to kill you. It’s not easy for me.”

Abbie and Jenny looked at each other in silence for a while before they looked back at Ezra.

“It’s just… not easy for us, Dad,” Abbie admitted. “We know why you left Mama, now, but… that’s a lot of hurt to get over. We’re not… trying to hate you or anything. But, and I hate to say this, Jenny pointed out that Edom’s been something like a father figure since he showed up and I can’t say she’s wrong. He’s protected us, tried to keep us out of the hell he was willing walking into. For us. It was… nice to know that feeling.”

Ezra nodded, “I know.”

“He’s been there for us, Dad.” Jenny swallowed the lump in her throat, her own tears threatening to fall. “He even knocked me out to protect me. Knowing him, that probably hurt him more than it did me.”

Ezra sat in silence for a while, leaning forward on the table to gather his thoughts. “For all the times he claims to not understand humanity, Edom’s always been more human than most.”

“Got that right,” Abbie agreed.

“I’m sorry that I haven’t been there. That I wasn’t there. I want to make that better. I want to do this right. There’s so much I want to tell you both. So much I need to. And I just… want to be there. I want to be a better father, a better man. Please.”

Abbie and Jenny stared at him for a long time. They had been through so much since they were kids, amplified as they became adults. They had a long conversation after learning the truth about their mother, Lori, and her descent into, supposed, “madness” and how it made their entire childhood make sense. But they couldn’t even imagine all the pain their mother took on just for her children. She did all of that just for them and he left.

But he was here now. He was trying. If the Mills women had learned anything in their lives, it was that making an effort did make a lot of difference.

Jenny folded her arms, “I guess… maybe… we can work on this.”

Abbie looked at Jenny.

Jenny took a deep breath. “I _want_ … to work on this.”

Ezra let a small grin come to his face. “That’s all I can ask for.”

* * *

Ichabod was in the Archives, cleaning his flintlock pistol while reading over various books, when Joe walked in.

“Hey, Crane,” Joe said.

Ichabod looked up, “Hello, Joe. How are you this evening?”

“On edge.”

“Yes, I certainly understand that.”

“Since Jenny and Abbie are with their dad, I was hoping I could talk to you,” Joe said.

“Of course,” Ichabod replied. “What can I do for you?”

Joe sat down, “It’s about getting Ed back.”

“What would you like to discuss?”

“I keep thinking that something could go wrong. It has before.” Joe moved his hands, awkwardly, “Like, what if they have a trump card?”

Ichabod nodded, “We are of the same mind. We must do all we can to prepare for all possible contingencies.”

“Yeah.” Joe stared at him. “Hey, Ichabod, just… if the worse happens…”

“It will not.”

“Just… if it does… I want to say thank you for all you’ve done for Abbie. And Jenny. But, in particular, all you’ve done for Abbie.”

Ichabod smiled. “I believe she’s done far more for me.”

Joe looked at the door then looked at Ichabod again. “I just wanted to ask… is there… any thought to making all of that permanent?”

Ichabod blushed a bit but gave a light shrug, “Don’t you think our relationship has been a slight bit brief for us to consider such things?”

“Please. You two have dated longer than me and Jenny.”

Ichabod looked at him, curiously.

“You know what I mean,” Joe defended.

“Perhaps. And, perhaps, the thought has crossed my mind once or twice.”

“You wouldn’t be you, if it hadn’t.” Joe thought for a few more seconds. “If I can offer any advice…”

“Of course.”

“Do something about it.”

Ichabod thought about that. “Maybe I will. But, with no disrespect intended, Joe, I could very well repeat this same discussion back to you.”

“Yeah, I know. But, with Jenny… I think she’ll need a bit more time before she’s ready for that step.”

“She has seen her fair amount of trauma.”

“Yeah, she has. They both have.”

“We all have in our own way.”

Joe smiled. “But, at least, we’re not alone anymore.”

Ichabod grinned. “There is strength in numbers. And great comfort.”

* * *

It was just past midnight in Sleepy Hollow and Ray found himself dreaming. He dreamed he was in the forest but he couldn’t confirm exactly where he was. He realized that he wasn’t just dreaming.

“I’m spirit walking again,” Ray whispered.

He heard voices coming from deeper in the forest. He wasn’t sure if he could be heard but he decided not to chance it. He quietly followed the voices to their source. He saw a shack in the woods and slowly approached the window. He looked inside and saw Edom chained up by his wrists with his arms overhead. He looked around and saw the man who threw the knife at him. Ray also took notice of another man and something he’d never thought he’d see: a headless man standing in old colonial garb.

Ray looked back over at Edom, who looked up and stared in Ray’s direction.

‘ _He can see me,_ ’ Ray thought.

Edom struggled to breath but mouthed the word, “Run.”

“What are you looking at?” one of the men said.

Ray hated to do it but he, forcibly, pulled himself out of the Spirit Walk.

Ray woke up in his hospital bed and grabbed his head. “Man.” He sat up and pressed the button for the nurse.

One of the nurses came in, “Yes, officer?”

“Hey, Ms. Kelly,” Ray smiled. “Can you do me a solid and call Agent Mills?”

“It’s after midnight, Officer Merck.”

“Yes and she’ll be mad at me, but it’s really important that I see her. It’s about a case. Pretty please with a cherry on top.”

Kelly shook her head. “You’re handful, you know that?”

“Sweetie, I’ve been a handful since I was born.”

“You’re not supposed to have any visitors. It’s bad enough that Agent Foster is still here.”

Ray jerked his head back. “She is?”

“Yep,” Kelly answered. “She’s asleep in the waiting room. Told us to let her know if anything happens to you.”

“Huh.” Ray shook his head. “Better wake her up. She’s on this case, too.”

“You got it.” Kelly smiled. “You know, she’s really pretty.”

“Thank you, Kelly,” Ray said, quickly.

“You’re welcome.”

* * *

An hour later, Abbie, Ichabod, and Sophie were in Ray’s room as he finished his recount on his brief Spirit Walk.

“Abraham,” Ichabod groaned.

“I knew it’d been too long since we saw him last,” Abbie said.

“Who’s Abraham?” Ray asked.

“The Headless Horseman,” Ichabod replied.

“You know… the Headless man? Sorry. Headless Horseman.”

Ichabod nodded.

Ray ran his hand across his face, “Why does anything surprise me anymore?”

“What are we gonna do?” Sophie asked.

Abbie looked at Ichabod, “They don’t know we know about Abraham.”

“They may have a suspicion,” Ichabod said. “They may have sensed Raymond’s presence.”

“Either way, that’s something we didn’t know an hour ago. It’s something we can plan for. The sooner, the better.”

Ichabod nodded.

“So,” Ray said, “seriously, what’s the plan?”

* * *

The following day, Jenny was walking to the same sandwich shop she was at just days ago. She was coming up to a car parked on by the curb when the door opened and Golan out.

Just as she expected.

Before Golan could say a word, Jenny immediately grabbed him, pulled him into an alley, and put a gun against his stomach.

“You think I didn’t notice you following me all day, you son of a bitch,” Jenny threatened, gritting through her teeth.

“Resourceful human,” Golan said.

“Where the hell is Edom? Tell me now and I’ll kill you quick.”

“You think you’re capable of bringing death to my kind?”

“I’ll have a hell of a lot of fun trying.”

“Further proof of your pathetic race,” Golan said.

“What the hell do you want?” Jenny asked.

“We want the Souls.”

“We want Edom back.”

“Hm. Interesting. You actually care about him.”

Jenny shoved the gun further against his stomach. “I’m actually going to enjoy this.”

“It’s pointless,” Golan exhaled. “Rationality is beyond your flawed race.”

Jenny scoffed. “Yeah, we’re unreasonable. By the way, my friend you stuck a knife in says hi.”

“One human. He’s not even dead and you’re angry.”

“One friend you hurt and you have my family!”

Golan looked at her in confusion. “Family?”

Jenny swallowed the lump in her throat and slowly lowered the gun. “But you want the Souls. We want Edom. Tonight, we make the trade.”

“You would risk all of humanity for one traitorous angel?”

“No, because we don’t want a traitorous angel like you or your boss. We want Edom. Tonight, 11 o’clock. In the forest, 30 miles north of town. Crane and Abbie will bring the Souls, you and Migron bring Edom.”

Golan nodded, slowly. “Agreed.”

Jenny turned and started to walk away but stopped, “Oh, and one more thing.”

Golan stared at her.

She turned around. “Burn in hell, bastard.” She left the scene quickly before Golan could retort.

* * *

That evening, Abbie, Ichabod, Jenny, Joe, and Sophie met back at the Archives to discuss the final stages of their plan. It was just about time for them to meet with Migron to save Edom.

“Souls in the truck?” Jenny asked.

“Yeah,” Abbie said. She looked at her sister, Joe, and Sophie. “You guys gonna be ready?”

“We’ll be ready.”

“Were you able to locate Gate?” Ichabod asked.

“Yeah,” Joe said. “He wants payback.”

“You talked to him?”

“I said the word ‘revenge.’ He nodded right away.”

“Understood,” Ichabod said.

Abbie rubbed her arms and let out a deep breath, “Okay. I’m gonna have a quick freak out. So, all of you, just… go with it. How do we know Ed’s still alive?”

“Ray saw him,” Sophie pointed out.

“But that was last night. Golan could’ve lied to Jenny so we can get the Souls there.” Abbie stopped. “What if they did kill him?”

Everyone considered that.

“Then we shall make sure that they pay most dearly for that crime,” Ichabod said.

“It’s not just that,” Abbie said. “It’s what could happen to him after that. When he gets back up top. I can’t imagine a world where Edom, of all people, would be sentenced to…”

“He, himself, has confessed to not being a saint, my love,” Ichabod reminded.

“Yeah. That doesn’t mean that he deserves to go to hell.”

“You two are Witnesses, _the_ Witnesses,” Jenny said. “Maybe helping you has… I don’t know, put in a good word for him upstairs.”

“Or perhaps his own works has spoken volumes as to how he’s changed,” Ichabod said. “Not just as how he’s helped us.”

“I hope he won’t find out one way or the other.” Abbie looked at her watch. “10 o’clock.”

“Time to go,” Jenny said.

“We best hurry,” Ichabod said. “It is long past time we ended this matter once and for all.”


	19. Chapter 18: Showdown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Witness versus Migron, Golan, and the Headless Horseman. The stakes: Edom, the Souls, and the fate of the world.

**_10:57. 30 miles north of Sleepy Hollow._ **

Ichabod and Abbie were standing in the forest, in the middle of a clearing, with the Souls of the Damned; their heads constantly on a swivel. Ichabod’s hands were behind his back and fingers fidgeting at light speed.

Abbie was pacing back and forth. “Where the hell are they?”

“We are early, my dear,” Ichabod replied.

“I just want this over and done with.”

“It will be.”

They looked toward the forest and saw someone approach. Migron and Golan emerged from the shadows. Golan had Edom wrapped in a chain and was tugging him along.

“Ed!” Abbie shouted.

Though clearly exhausted and battered, Edom smiled at his friends, “Ah! Brave Abbie. Noble Ichabod. How are you both this lovely evening?”

“Let him go, now!” Abbie ordered.

“Give me what was promised,” Migron replied. “And you can have the fool back.”

“Actually,” Abbie drew her knife, as did Ichabod. “We’re leaving with both: the Souls and Edom. And there ain’t damn thing you’re gonna do about it.”

Migron scoffed. “Am I to be intimidated? You have no means of combating me.”

Ichabod made eye contact with Edom, who gave a slow, painful nod.

“We do, in fact,” Ichabod declared. “Do you wish to test that theory?”

Migron chuckled. “You fools believe I came here unprepared for your common human trait of betrayal?”

“Hard to be offended by that when you’re holding one of your own kind by a chain like a slave,” Abbie fired back.

Migron smirked and stared at Abbie, “Does this resurrect memories of how your ancestors were treated by _his_ ancestors?” He pointed at Ichabod.

Abbie had to steady her breathing. “Alright. I was actually planning on getting Edom and leaving. But, now? I’m gonna kick your ass.”

“I doubt that.” Migron turned his head, slightly, “Come forth!”

The Headless Horseman stepped from behind a tree.

“Why am I not surprised?” Abbie asked.

“Perhaps because he’s proven himself an untrustworthy, vindictive creature,” Ichabod said.

“Yeah. Good thing we’re not saints either.”

They dropped to the ground and Jenny, Joe, and Sophie stepped from around the trees and threw flash grenades toward Migron and Golan. The grenades exploded, temporarily catching the corrupt angels off guard. Edom used the distraction to push past his pain and summon any strength he had left. He broke his chains, grabbed Migron, and threw him into Golan. Edom stumbled away from them but didn’t notice the Horseman was almost on top of him.

The Horseman was stopped when he was shot by Abbie. The Horseman turned his attention to her and chased after her.

Golan tried clearing his vision but, just as he could see shapes again, Gate was on top of him. Gate pinned Golan to the ground and sank his teeth into Golan’s right shoulder. Golan screamed in pain and managed to force Gate away from him. Golan clutched his shoulder and looked Gate, who was snarling at him.

“Damned beast,” Golan gritted, summoning his sword. “I will finish what I started before and destroy you.”

Gate howled at him in defiance.

While Gate stood his ground against Golan, Edom got his breath back while Jenny and Joe ran up to him. Edom smiled at the couple, “Jenny. Joe.”

“Hey,” Jenny smiled.

“You actually look hurt,” Joe smiled.

Edom managed to chuckle, “‘Tis but a flesh wound. I’ve had worse.”

Jenny let out a relieved exhale. “Come on. Let’s get you outta here.”

“What about the Souls?” Edom asked.

“We’re going to destroy them. Abbie and Crane brought the Justice amulet. We’re gonna hold Migron and Golan off. But you need to go.”

Edom shook his head, “No. I’m staying. This ends tonight. It ends here.”

“No, we gotta get you outta here,” Joe said. “You’re hurt and you don’t have…”

Edom revealed his medallion in his hand. “I took it off of Migron when I grabbed him. I’m no saint, either.”

“Works for me.” Jenny studied his face, “Are you sure?”

Edom nodded. “Yes.” He immediately shifted his medallion to the sword and got to his feet. He walked over to stand next to Gate to face down Golan and Migron. “Let’s end this.”

* * *

Abbie led the Horseman away from the center of the melee. The Horseman was hot on her heels until he heard someone call out to him.

“Abraham!” Ichabod shouted.

The Horseman turned and looked at him.

“There is no further reason for us to go to war. You don’t have to pursue this course.”

The Horseman advanced toward him.

“Abraham! These angels promised you my death. Have you even considered what they wish me dead for?”

The Horseman swung his axe at Ichabod, who dropped to the ground and rolled out of the way.

“I imagined you would feel that way,” Ichabod said. “Regrettably for you, I came prepared.”

Suddenly, an iron net dropped from a tree branch, courtesy of Abbie, and landed on top of the Horseman, pinning him to the ground. The Horseman did his best to fight his way out of the net or even stand up but he couldn’t get free. In fact, the net was burning him the more he struggled.

“A net that we blessed with materials given to us by the angel you helped keep ensnared,” Ichabod said. “We shall deal with you later.” He ran back to the fray, followed by Abbie.

* * *

Edom was fighting Migron alone while Joe, Jenny, and Sophie helped Gate battle Golan. Jenny looked over at Migron, took aim, and fired her gun. She hit Migron in the arm, causing him to grab his arm in pain. Edom kicked Migron in the chest, sending him to the ground. Edom went to for a strike but Migron deflected Edom’s blade, got up, and punched Edom, who fell back from the blow.

Migron stumbled back behind a tree, clutching his arm. “How…” he whispered. He pulled the bullet out of his arm and looked at it. He growled. “It’s coated.” He tossed the bullet to the ground. “A curse upon you and your ilk, Edom.” He looked up in time to dodge a sword strike from Edom.

* * *

Abbie and Ichabod arrived back on the scene to see Edom and Migron battling it out with one another. Seeing his friends, Edom kicked Migron away and stumbled over to the Witnesses. Edom fell to a knee in front of them and Abbie and Ichabod bent down to help him.

Edom chuckled, “You’re all crazy!”

“Yeah, usually,” Abbie said.

“How did you plan all this?”

“You know this isn’t the first time we’ve faced the Apocalypse, right?”

“What’s next?” Edom asked.

“We’re destroying the Souls,” Ichabod said. “Here and now.”

Edom looked at the recovering Migron and observed Gate’s duel with Golan. “I’ll help give you that time.”

They all looked over to see Golan had just slashed Gate across the side and threw him against a tree. Golan then glared at Edom, Abbie, and Ichabod.

“Ed…” Abbie said.

“I’m a soldier, Abbie,” Edom’s gaze never left Golan’s. “This is why I’m here.”

“We shall move in great haste,” Ichabod said.

“Go!” Edom ordered. He rushed back at Golan while Ichabod and Abbie went back to the Souls.

* * *

Jenny, Joe, and Sophie kept firing at Migron to keep him taking cover behind a tree while Edom and Golan charged at each other. Edom and Golan fought heatedly, putting all of their power into their strikes; their swords clashing against each other echoing through the night. Jenny watched their battle, waited for the perfect time, and, when it came, she fired three shots into Golan, causing him to flinch and lower his guard.

Edom didn’t even think. He saw an opening and reacted. He rammed his blade into Golan’s chest, both of them gasping from shock.

Golan stared in shock into Edom’s eyes, who was just as bewildered as he was. Edom felt a few tears roll down his eyes but he forced the sword further into Golan’s chest.

Golan slowly fell to the ground, falling off of Edom’s sword. He hit the forest floor and didn’t move again.

The forest fell silent as everyone was overcome with shell-shock at what they just witnessed.

Edom stared at Golan’s body in utter shock. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.

Peering from behind the tree, Migron was shaking with rage. He threw his back against the tree and let out a cry of anguish. “DID THAT FEEL GOOD, EDOM?!” he screamed.

Edom shut his eyes tight as tears streamed down.

“YOU KILLED YOUR OWN BROTHER! DID IT FEEL GOOD?!”

“You made this necessary, Migron,” Edom whispered. He shouted, “You made this necessary! All of it!”

Migron shook his head, “And this is who you these humans deem worthy of your companionship! You fools call him family! He who would murder his own kin under the guise of fighting for humanity!”

“You’re the same monster!” Jenny shouted.

“I’m a monster,” Migron whispered. “Fools. They don’t even know what they really are.”

Abbie and Ichabod were standing by the Souls and Ichabod pulled the Justice amulet from his pocket. The Witnesses cut their hands and poured their blood on the stone. It immediately illuminated the forest with brilliant soft blue light.

Migron peered from behind the tree and his eyes widened. “NO!” he screamed. He drew his sword back, surged power into it, and swung it, sending a wave of force that flung everyone through the air, even knocking down a few trees. Jenny, Joe, and Sophie were knocked unconscious while Abbie, Ichabod, and Edom were thrown further into the forest.

The act took a lot of power from Migron and he fell to the ground. He struggled to crawl toward the Souls. As he got closer to the Souls, he pulled the Dagger of Clive from his back. The ritual may not have been exact but this was the closest to victory as he would get. He was almost to the Souls but Edom managed to stand in his way.

Migron looked up at Edom and slowly got to his feet. “Out of my way.”

“No,” Edom declared.

Migron scoffed. He saw Abbie and Ichabod moving around behind Edom. “Those who will prevent the Apocalypse,” he growled.

Abbie slowly got to her feet and helped Ichabod stand, as well.

“And you align yourself with him,” Migron motioned toward Edom.

“Every damn day,” Abbie said. She looked and saw the Justice amulet fell not too far from them.

Migron scoffed. “And you think he’s more worthy? More honorable than me.” He stared at them, blankly. “YOU THINK HE’S MORE WORTHY?!” he shouted. “The Fire awaits us both! We shall burn! He’s no saint! Not even by the principles of man!”

“He was deceived by you,” Ichabod declared. “Forced to be a weapon against the wishes of his Creator. Now… he seeks to redeem himself. Edom… is a hundred times the protector you have ever been.”

Edom smiled.

“The Father will never forgive him!” Migron declared.

“You may not believe in the Father’s capacity to forgive sins but I do. If it were not so… I would not have found her.” Ichabod pointed to Abbie.

“The Father cares nothing about you. But don’t trust my words! ASK HIM YOURSELF!” Migron rushed at them with his blades thirsty for blood.

Edom blocked Migron’s path and they dueled, savagely. Abbie and Ichabod picked up their respective guns and aimed them at Migron but couldn’t get a clear shot because of the fast movement on the angels. Migron took note of their attempts to shoot him, so he grabbed Edom and threw him against them.

All three of them saw Migron stumble for a second, falling to a knee and using his sword to keep himself up.

“Stop, Migron,” Edom said, getting to his feet. “You barely have any more strength than I do.”

“I cannot stop,” Migron said. “I will not.”

“This is absolute madness!”

“You murdered Golan!” Migron shouted. “You’ve allied yourself with killers, thieves, and those once possessed by demons!”

“Your logic just described King David, Thomas of the Twelve, and the innocent man possessed by Legion who was freed by The Son!”

Migron stopped and considered that.

“You burden them with crimes that even some of the best of them, as declared by the Father himself, have overcome,” Edom explained. “Granted, not without punishment. But we have no right pass that judgement. Not on our own. We never did.” He paused to take a breath. “You’re not so far gone as to have forgotten the words of the Father. ‘With all thy getting get understanding’.”

“Proverbs chapter 4, verse 7.” Migron started to shake. “Do not presume to lecture me on the ‘goodness’ of mankind! And certainly do not use the Father’s words to justify them! Humans are a blight! Pure and simple!”

“No,” Edom said. “Nothing of the sort. They have their flaws. But, clearly, so do we.”

Migron screamed and charged at Edom. They dueled each other, fighting with everything they had. Migron’s attacks became more ferocious, not all calculating; punching and kicking Edom where he could’ve struck his former brother with his sword. Migron elbowed Edom in the gut and flung him to ground. He got on top of Edom and pressed the dagger against his throat, grazing Edom’s skin.

“You’re foolish to think that you could dissuade me from this course,” Migron snarled.

“And you’re as stupid as I was when I agreed to follow you all those centuries ago.” Edom smirked.

Migron leaned his head to the side.

“To quote my favorite film of the moment: ‘it’s called a hustle, sweetheart.’”

Migron saw the light shining again. He looked over his shoulder to see Abbie and Ichabod had the Justice amulet pressed against the Souls.

Migron’s eyes widened as he could feel the power of the Souls quickly fading away. “No!” Migron got up to run toward them but Edom grabbed his ankle, causing him to fall. Migron tried to fight Edom off but Edom managed to get better hold of Migron, both of them dropping their blades.

The Souls were slowly but surely weakening. Abbie and Ichabod saw something clawing at the crystal itself. The Typhon slowly brought its face to the surface and stared at the Witnesses. Then, the Typhon’s eyes greyed over and it gave out one low growl before it sank back into the confines of the crystal. Abbie and Ichabod got up, backed away from the Souls, and Abbie aimed her gun at the Souls.

“Don’t do this!” Migron shouted.

Abbie fired a shot, shattering the crystal. A torrent of wind broke from the crystal as the pieces scattered and turned into dust. A loud roar echoed through the night as black cloud in the shape of the Typhon appeared then slowly faded away.

The night fell quiet, the power dissipated. All became calm.

Pushing himself to his knees, Migron stared at the sky with his mouth agape.

Edom walked over to Abbie and Ichabod and smiled. “Well done, my friends. Very well done.”

“Thanks,” Abbie said.

Edom looked at their hands and the open wounds on them. He ripped off what was left of his shirt and tied the remnants around their wounds to cover them. Abbie winced in pain as Edom tied the bandage.

“Apologies,” Edom said.

“No, don’t worry,” Abbie said as Edom finished tying off the wound. “I’ve had worse.”

“And it’s much better than possible alternatives,” Ichabod said.

Edom wrapped the cloth around Ichabod’s hand, “Yes. Very much so.” After he finished, he looked over at the thunderstruck Migron.

“I would feel bad for him,” Abbie said, “if he wasn’t such a bastard.”

“Agreed.” Edom took a step toward them, picking up his sword. “Migron.”

Migron gasped.

“Stand down. It’s over.”

“Over,” Migron whispered. “Over?” He picked up his sword and the dagger. “All of my failures,” he slowly got to his feet. “All because of you.”

Edom could feel more energy surging from Migron.

Migron started shaking then screamed in rage, “BECAUSE OF YOU!” He quickly dashed at Edom and they began fighting again. Migron knocked Edom down and Abbie put three bullets in Migron’s chest and arm, causing him to drop the knife.

Migron looked at her and rushed at her but Ichabod tackled her out of the way. Migron looked down at both of them as they laid on the ground.

Migron rushed at them and thrust his sword down, “DIE!”

All they heard next was the sound of flesh being pierced.

Ichabod and Abbie looked at each other saw that neither of them was hurt.

They looked to see Edom had gotten between them and Migron.

Edom had his hand on Migron’s arm and stopped his enemy’s sword from hitting the Witnesses. But Edom couldn’t stop the blade from piercing his stomach.

“ED!” Abbie screamed.

Migron’s eyes became wide. “You little fool.”

Edom chuckled, coughing up blood. “Perhaps. But it did get me close enough to do this.” He revealed he had one of the Redeemer daggers and, swiftly, rammed it into Migron’s chest.

Migron’s eyes went wide and his mouth fell open. He’d never experienced pain like this before. He stumbled away from them, releasing his sword. He fell to his knees then over on to his side, shaking all the while.

Edom smiled then dropped to his knees. “It seems… I was successful in hunting you… after all.” The last of Edom’s strength gave out and he fell to the ground.

“No…” Ichabod whispered.

“Edom!” Abbie shouted as she and Ichabod rushed over and tried propping him up.

Edom’s breathing became labored and his eye lids were beginning to flutter.

“You’ll be fine!” Ichabod said, knowing it was a lie. “It’s a simple wound.”

Edom shook his head. “No. It’s…” He chuckled. “…it’s mortal.”

“Don’t say that!” Abbie demanded. “We’re gonna get you help.”

“Help? You’ve already helped me.”

“Fool,” Migron whispered.

The three of them looked at him.

“You’ll…” Migron coughed, “be judged… by the Father! He will find you guilty.”

“I’m aware,” Edom replied. “A judgment… I welcome. I… I deserve it. At long last… it was worth it.”

Migron exhaled, “Fool… you’re… you’re just as damned… as… I am.” He closed his eyes and he was gone.

Ichabod and Abbie looked at each other than Edom. He was smiling.

“The end… not so bad…” Edom leaned his head over then all the light left his eyes. He still had a smile on his face.

Abbie looked at him, placing her hand on his chest. She was searching desperately for a pulse. She gasped. She looked at Ichabod, who closed his eyes in sorrow. He looked back at her. She held out her hand, he took it. They silently mourned over their fallen comrade.

Their friend.

Abbie wrapped her arms around Ichabod and he pulled her closer while they both silently cried.

The quiet of the forest was broken when they heard footsteps approach.

“Such a tragedy,” the voice said.

The Witnesses looked up to see a man with pure white hair wearing a pristine white business suit approach. The man’s face was the personification of handsome and he had electric blue eyes. He approached with his hands in his pockets and stopped at Golan’s body. “A shame,” he said. “All of this war. All of this hate. All of this death. For what? Only to fail in the end.” He looked at Migron’s body. “To fail so utterly.”

He walked over to Edom’s body and looked down at it, “Oh, Edom, my dear brother. All you sought was redemption. A pity the road led here.”

“Who are you?” Ichabod asked.

The man looked at Ichabod. “I am the Archangel Gabriel, Ichabod Crane.” He looked at Abbie, “Lady Grace Mills. A pleasure to meet you both.”

“You’ve come for him?” Ichabod asked, motioning to Edom.

“Yes. Judgement must be passed.”

“What about the rest of them?” Abbie asked.

“Migron and Golan’s fates, by their own hands, have been determined,” Gabriel explained. “There is no choice for them.”

“What about Ed?”

“That is a far more complicated matter, I fear.”

“Please,” Abbie begged. “Edom’s not a monster! He’s nowhere near as bad as them!” She motioned toward Migron.

“He’s murdered,” Gabriel said. “He’s stolen. He’s cursed. He’s far from perfect.”

“So’s everyone here.”

“That is _human_ nature. Angels are meant to do as commanded. He should’ve known better than to follow Migron from the beginning.”

“He was deceived,” Ichabod insisted. “Not unlike humans are.”

“Then you truly believe that he is innocent?” Gabriel asked.

“100 per cent?” Abbie shook her head. “No. He’s not. But that doesn’t make him evil.”

“Of an example of an angel, perhaps, he is not the best. But, then, I pose to you both this query: do you believe he is a good man?”

“Yes,” Abbie said.

“Beyond a doubt,” Ichabod added.

“Then decide, cherished Witnesses,” Gabriel said, “for Edom, you choose: he may continue to live but… there will be pain.”

“Living involves pain,” Ichabod said. “Among other things.”

“Indeed.”

“We want him here,” Abbie said. “And… I think he wants to be here.”

“I think you may be right,” Gabriel nodded. He walked to the other side of Edom and kneeled down next to him, “Surely, as the Father sits on His throne, He has seen the plight and efforts of my dear brother.” He pressed his finger to Edom’s forehead. “Great will be my brother’s reward. Not here on Earth but in the kingdom he has faithfully served.”

“So, you’re not gonna take him?” Abbie asked.

“No. By your testimony, may he stay. As well as the Father sees that Edom’s role in the tasks to come could be vital. Great danger still lurks.” Gabriel looked at Abbie and Ichabod, “And you are both still needed.”

“Then… he’s forgiven?” Ichabod asked.

“He has his own sins,” Gabriel said, “that he must answer for, in time.” He nodded. “But, I know Edom. Yes, he will be forgiven.”

“What of us, Lord Gabriel?”

Gabriel smiled. “I can’t give everything away, good sir. But I can tell you… both of you are more important, to more people, than you can possibly imagine. Like Edom, your road ahead will be hard. I beg of you to endure.”

“We will,” Abbie said.

“Good,” Gabriel smiled. He looked at Edom then stood up. “Fight on, brother.”

Edom groaned and started moving. Ichabod and Abbie gasped in excitement.

“Tell him for me,” Gabriel said, getting Abbie and Ichabod’s attention. “Tell him I’m very proud of him. That he’s done well.” He stared at them. “And so have all of you.” He took a couple of steps back. “Until we meet again, honored Witnesses.” A bright light emanated from Gabriel’s chest and, in a flash, Gabriel was gone, along with the bodies of Migron and Golan.

Abbie and Ichabod looked around in shock.

Edom groaned and slowly sat up. He rubbed his chest. “Ichabod? Abbie?”

They looked at him. “Ed!” Abbie said, excitedly.

Edom looked around, saw that Migron and Golan were gone, then looked back at the Witnesses. “What happened?”

Abbie just laughed as Ichabod exhaled in relief.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: The ending with Gabriel is inspired by the “Archangels” comic, published by Eternal, created by Andrew Orjuela, and Kyoko M and her "Black Parade" series. If you can track down the "Archangels" comics, they were great. Also, please Kyoko M's books. They are great!


	20. Chapter 19: Closing Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the battle concluded, the team takes some time to relax. Meanwhile, Ichabod, Abbie, and Edom talk with the captive Van Brunt. Elsewhere, Director Walters has an interesting encounter...

**_The Following Morning._ **

Abbie, Ichabod, Jenny, Joe, and Edom were in the Archives and Abbie and Ichabod just finished recounting what happened after Migron knocked out the rest of the team and stabbed Edom. After the end of their account, Edom, Jenny, and Joe sat with their mouths agape.

“Damn,” Jenny said.

“Gabriel said that?” Edom asked, amazed at what he was told.

“Yeah,” Abbie smiled.

Edom sat back and whispered, “I’m forgiven.”

“Very much so,” Ichabod smiled.

“And, uh, sorry about…” Abbie said, “ya know… making you stay.”

Edom smiled. “You didn’t make me do anything. I’m glad you did.”

The door opened and everyone saw Ray walk in, being aided by Sophie.

“Hey, there he is!” Joe said.

Ray had his arm in a sling but a smile on his face. “Hey, everyone!”

“How are you feeling, Ray?” Ichabod asked.

“Well, I’ll never play for the Brooklyn Dodgers.” He sighed, “There goes my dreams of being like Jackie Robinson but, all things considered, not too bad.”

Sophie jerked her head back and looked at Ray. “You like Jackie Robinson?”

Ray looked at her, incredulously, “Uhh, I like going to bars. I live and die on the amazing life that is Jackie Robinson!”

“He’s my favorite, too.”

Ray stared at her for a second. “No kidding.”

“Yeah.”

“Huh.”

“Ray, you only talk about wrestling,” Jenny said.

“Can’t a guy like more than one sport?” Ray asked.

Jenny smiled.

“Anyway,” Ray sat down, along with Sophie, “what happened last night?”

Joe smiled. “We won.”

Ray exhaled. “That’s a relief! So… what happens next?”

“For now, we take a break,” Abbie said. “Sleep, eat. Breathe. Just gotta breathe for a while.”

“Trouble will start again, soon enough,” Ichabod said.

“Always,” Jenny said.

“So, you guys think something will happen that fast?” Ray asked.

“It comes quicker than you think, man,” Joe said.

“Yes, it does,” Edom interlocked his fingers and sat back. “For instance, there were a few things that, I fear, have gone over overlooked. One such item was something that dear August was working on.”

That caught Joe’s attention more than anyone. “Like what?” he asked.

Edom looked around to the Archives, got up, walked over to a filing cabinet, and hit the top of it, revealing a hidden space on the side of it. “August kept the locations of what are known as the Nine Sacred Burial sites hidden here. He told me about it. It’s gone.”

“How’d you know it was gone?” Abbie asked.

“I was looking for it when we came back from finding the Tablet. Something to pass the time and I thought it might be one of your missions coming up soon. Saw it was gone but decided to deal with that after we dealt with the Souls.”

“Who took the file?” Jenny asked.

“The first thing on my ‘to do’ list after a period of rest is to find out exactly that.”

“Should we worry?” Abbie asked.

“No,” Edom said. “I’ll be keeping my eye on a few situations. I’ll let you know when it’s time to panic.”

Abbie smiled. “No, you won’t.”

Edom smiled. “No, I won’t.”

“Well, that’s fine. We’re good at panicking when we need to anyway.”

Edom chuckled then sobered. “But, before we take our sabbatical, we do have one more item on our agenda.”

“Yes, we do,” Ichabod said. He looked at Abbie.

Abbie nodded then looked at her sister and the others. “You guys go… get some rest.”

“Do you three really have to do this alone?” Jenny asked.

“It’s better that way,” Ichabod said.

“We’ll see you guys later,” Abbie said. “Dinner?”

“Sounds good,” Joe said.

“Alright,” Abbie said. “See you guys.” She, Ichabod, and Edom left the Archives.

Abbie, Ichabod, and Edom drove an hour northwest of Sleepy Hollow, deep into the forested hills. They came to a came to the opening of a large cave opening and Edom pulled the SUV to a stop and unbuckled his seat belt.

Edom looked at Abbie and Ichabod. “Ready?”

They nodded.

* * *

They all got out of the SUV and went inside the cave. The cave path led them underground until they came to large metal door built into the cave wall. Edom opened it up and, inside, sat the Headless Horseman in the middle of a large square cage comprised of black iron bars. The cell was created by Edom in the past to hold dangerous criminals who were well versed in magic; the cell limited how much magic was possible or negated it entirely, depending on Edom’s settings. Edom had an enchantment on the cell, and the chamber as a whole, that allowed the Horseman’s original human appearance to be seen.

Abraham looked up to see the trio standing at his cell door. “Away with you, Crane,” he ordered. “I have nothing to say to any of you.”

“Perhaps you don’t,” Edom said. He leaned an arm against the bars. “Maybe we should end you and be done with it.”

“Not a bad plan,” Abbie said, folding her arms.

“There is a belief that you’re beyond help, beyond redemption, Abraham,” Ichabod said. “I do not hold that belief. Fully.”

“I do,” Abbie said.

“I’m on the fence, I must admit,” Edom said. “That is to say I’m at a crossroads on whether or not you should live. Moreover, on whether or not you can be saved.”

“I need no saving,” Abraham declared.

“But you do. We all need it at some point or another. It’s a part of living. And what you truly require is redemption.”

Abraham looked away.

“Katrina is dead,” Edom said, bluntly. “Your grudge against Ichabod no longer has any basis.”

“I still love her. More than he ever did.”

“Did you love her? Or what she could’ve been? Did you… even _you_ , recognize who she truly was in the end?”

Abraham stared at Edom, “I recognized her as the woman I loved. That’s all that matters.”

Edom nodded. “Hm.” He started pacing, “You have your roll, Abraham Van Brunt. What that roll is has not been revealed yet. But I don’t believe it’s your time to die, just yet.”

“His has long since passed,” Abraham motioned toward Ichabod.

“No. His time is far from over. As is yours. You’ll understand, in time.” Edom looked at the Witnesses. “Let’s go.”

They all turned to leave.

“Ichabod!” Abraham called out, causing them all to look back at him. “I will get free. And we will settle this.”

“We will someday, Abraham,” Ichabod said. “But maybe Edom’s right: maybe it won’t be a fight to the death. More of a matter of settling everything. At long last.”

After leaving the cave, Abbie, Ichabod, and Edom were heading back to the truck.

“What a piece of work,” Abbie chided.

“Indeed,” Ichabod agreed.

“There is still more for him,” Edom said. They arrived at the truck and he leaned against the hood, staring contemplatively at the forest.

“Why would you even possibly think that?” Abbie asked, folding her arms and leaning against the truck.

“He’s still here.” Edom looked at them, “As are we. With all who have died, Abbie, for any of us to still be here, you know that means they must have a part to play. The Trials aren’t over yet. And you’re still Witnesses.”

“You seem to believe that Abraham will somehow be useful in our mission,” Ichabod said.

“I honestly do. For good or ill, I believe Abraham will have a part to play.”

“Is that so?”

Edom shrugged, “That, and do you know any exact way to kill him and make sure he _stays_ dead?”

Ichabod and Abbie looked at each other, unsure.

“I mean, technically, all of this started is because both you and he died, Ichabod. We could kill him but he could also come back. Possibly stronger, assuredly angrier.”

“Oh, damn, that’s a good point,” Abbie admitted.

Edom stood up straight and put his hands in his pockets, “Believe me, Abbie; I, too, see the immediate assurance in killing the Horseman now. I even understand your catharsis in doing so. But the war goes on. We need to be ready with all preparations.”

“Even if it means trusting him?” Ichabod asked.

“Countless wars have been won and lost by the concept of trusting the enemy. It’s the avenue we must consider when the time comes.” Edom stopped and looked at them. “I can’t believe that I have to explain this notion to you both.” He looked at Ichabod, “You were a spy for Washington,” he looked at Abbie, “and you work for the FBI.” He thought about it. “Which, in essence, is almost the same thing!”

Abbie scratched the side of her head. “Maybe, we, uh…”

Ichabod put his hands behind his back. “Perhaps, our minds were preoccupied with our deep… _deep_ seeded dislike of him.”

“‘Dislike’?” Edom raised an eyebrow.

Ichabod looked around but refused to look Edom in the eyes. “Hatred,” he corrected.

Edom chuckled. “Vengeance. Gets even the best of us. I know. Don’t worry about it.”

Ichabod exhaled. “Your point is well made, Edom. Until such time as we can understand, let’s leave Abraham be.”

“I still don’t like this,” Abbie said. “But… you’re right. Better locked up here then have him out roaming around.”

“There we go!” Edom said, happily. “Now!” He clapped his hands. “I am famished! Lunch! Then I shall prepare for dinner!”

* * *

Late that night, Ichabod, Abbie, Jenny, Joe, Edom, Sophie, and Ray were sitting in a bar, laughing and talking. It felt good to enjoy themselves with no immediate threat waiting for them the very next day.

Abbie checked her watch. “Wow. It’s late. Almost 2.”

Jenny nodded, “Closing time.”

Joe finished his beer and asked, “So, what’s next?”

“We get some rest,” Abbie said. “That was what? Round three or four? We need to get ready for the next round.”

“And ready we shall be,” Edom said. “I shall settle our tab.”

“God bless you, Ed,” Ray smiled.

Edom laughed. “He has and will again.”

After paying for the tab, the group was about to head out when Ezra walked in. Abbie and Jenny stared at him, unsure of what to do.

Edom smiled. “Ezra! You received my message!”

“You called him?” Ray asked.

“Of course. How else was he supposed to know we were here?”

The Mills girls stared at their father in silence for a while. Everyone could feel the tension between in the air.

“It’s like when Jackie Robinson first took the mound for the Dodgers,” Ray whispered to Sophie.

“April 15th 1947,” Sophie replied.

“Sophie, I think I love you.”

“Right back at you.”

“Abbie, Jenny,” Ezra said. “Could we… talk?”

Jenny stared at her father for a while with complete indifference on her face. Abbie looked over at her sister, waiting for her to answer. Abbie wanted to meet with Ezra but she refused to force Jenny into anything that she didn’t want to do.

Jenny opened her mouth and said, “There’s that 24-hour diner down the road, where we talked last time. I’m not tired yet. Abbie?”

Abbie smiled. “Sounds good.”

Ezra smiled, relieved. “That’s… that’s great. Thank you, girls.”

Jenny nodded, “Yeah.”

Ichabod looked at all three of them, “Well, then, I shall return home.”

“Yeah, yeah, me, too,” Joe agreed.

“No, please,” Ezra said. “You’re both family, too. It’d be great if… if we could all talk.”

Abbie and Jenny were surprised to hear that, as were Ichabod and Joe with the two men looking at each other before looking back at Ezra.

“We would be most honored to join you,” Ichabod said.

“Absolutely,” Joe agreed.

Ezra smiled, “Thank you.”

“A splendid turn of events, this night!” Edom said with a bright smile. “Well, with that being said, I should head home.”

“Ed…” Jenny said, wanting to protest.

“Not this outing, Jenny,” Edom said, preempting her. “All of you need to talk. Without me, for now.”

“I better get home, too,” Ray said. “My DVR is full of wrestling and I’m behind since I was stuck in the damn hospital.”

“I’m not tired yet,” Sophie said. “Want some company? You can tell me why you actually like it.”

Ray smiled at her, “Nothing would make me happier.”

Abbie looked at Ezra, “Let’s go.”

Edom waved at them all, “Good night, everyone.”

The team split up their own directions, taking more time to relax and enjoy the peace that they had rightfully won. They knew it wouldn’t last too long but they would enjoy it while they had it.

* * *

**_Arlington County, Virginia. The Pentagon._ **

FBI Director Jack Walters walked into the conference room that night and found two men in black suits and sunglasses standing at one end of the table with the chair they were guarding facing the window.

The chair spun around revealing a young, dark-skinned man. The young man chuckled, “Director Walters!” he spread his arms out, dramatically. He settled his hands on the arms of the chair. “It is a pleasure to meet you at long last!”

“Yes,” Walters said. “I’ve heard you’re very important.”

“I am, indeed. I apologize for the late hour but it’s imperative that we have a conversation.”

“Yes.” Walters sat down at the other end of the table. “Over the phone, you said you had some valuable information on…”

“On the Nine Sacred Sites,” the young man said. “Yes, yes! I heard you were looking for them.”

“So, that means, you knew August Corbin?”

“By reputation only,” the young man smiled. He brought his feet up and rested his heels on the table. “Never had the pleasure of meeting him face to face.”

“And you can get us what we want?” Walters asked.

“Oh, absolutely. As long as you help me, that is.”

“Of course. You’ll understand that I’m a bit… cautious.”

“Because I appear young, I understand.” The young man leaned forward. “But if I have your word, I’ll tell you what you need to know to trust me.”

Walters considered it for a moment but soon nodded, “Alright. We have a deal.”

“Terrific. Well, as for my introduction, let me put it this way: mankind used to believe in the supernatural and myth as fact. Now, you’ve gotten so sophisticated, you forgotten the gods once walked among you. Well, those of us who wanted to. I was one such god until my current predicament.”

“And which god were you?”

“‘ _Are_ ’, sir. ‘Are.’ I am still a god. Even if slightly depowered. But I’m so glad you asked.” The young man hopped on to the table. “I am the god of the desert. The god of the storms.” His voice suddenly became deeper, “I am one of the rulers of death. I was worshipped and feared in Egypt. People bowed at the very mention of my name.”

Walters heard what sounded like thunder outside.

“My name, Director Walters…”

Walters jumped a bit at lightning crashing just outside the window. When the lightning flashed, Walter swore that young man’s shadow didn’t seem to match his body. Walters looked back at the young man, whose eyes were glowing red.

“…is Set. And I’m here to bring a little bit of… chaos.”


	21. Epilogue

The following night, just past midnight, Abbie sat at the island in the kitchen staring at nothing. She had a cup of tea next to her and was fingering her Okodee Mmowere pendant while it hung from her neck.

Ichabod walked downstairs and saw her deep in thought. “Abbie?”

She looked at him and smiled.

“I awoke and you weren’t in bed.”

“Yeah,” Abbie said. “Couldn’t sleep.”

“What has you troubled?”

She thought about her answer for a while. Talking about her emotions was still hard. But he was the one person she could always trust with her feelings. “We swore to tell each other the truth, right?”

“Indeed.” He walked over, pulled up a stool, and sat next to her.

“Then I need to tell you something and… I really need you to understand where I’m coming from.”

“Absolutely.”

She took a breath. “Here’s the truth. I’m scared.”

“Of what?” he asked.

“This. With you. It all feels so… right.”

He exhaled, feeling relief at that.

“But, I’ve had right before. I mean, never _this_ right but… I’ve had good things happen to me but they never seemed to last long. Right and good can end in a flash.”

“Yes. They can.” He took her hand in his, “But we shall enjoy every moment we have with each other.”

She smiled, “Yeah, we will.” She fell a bit somber. “But… it’s more than that.”

“How so?”

“You said you worry about being in a relationship with me but I have the same problem.”

“You?”

“Yeah. I know all about your past, Crane. The women you’ve loved, who’ve loved you. Hell, even the ones who just can’t help but stare at you when you walk by.”

He sat up a bit straighter. “This has occurred frequently?”

“Yeah,” she admitted. “A lot more than you think. Kinda pissed me off, sometimes, to be honest.”

“Before or after we entered into a relationship.”

Abbie stared at him then looked away, “Both.”

Ichabod smiled. “Oh, Abbie…”

“Don’t. I know that helps perk your little ego.”

“Slightly. But it has to pale in comparison to the number of gentlemen who… leer at you in the most unbecoming of ways.”

“It’s when I wear jeans. Always the jeans.”

“Those are a great help in my case, I will not lie. And not just those. There are also your leggings you wear when you go for your runs. Or any attire your grace in general.”

She giggled and shook her head. But shrugged, “Eh. Good to know.” Her smile faded again. “It’s just… there’s something I have to know.”

“Anything,” he replied.

She gazed into his eyes, “Why do you love me? My life is probably way crazier than yours by comparison.”

“A point we could argue for days, quite possibly literally.”

“But what is it about me? I mean… I wasn’t in the war, I’m not a witch, I wasn’t in anyone’s inner circle. I know the things I find special about me but what do you see?”

He smiled at her. “Do you have any idea how much time I would need to convey the reasons of my love for you?”

She smiled. “How about the short list?”

“There is no such thing.”

Her heart skipped a beat. She looked away then back at him. “I sound stupid, don’t I?”

“Not at all. It would be a question I would have were it not for your admission in the hospital.” He realized something. “You declared your feelings. You told me everything. It is now my turn to reply.”

She smiled. “You did.”

“But perhaps not to the fullest extent. Allow me to correct that mistake.” He took a second to gather his thoughts. “When I awoke here… I had no expectations. I had no aspirations of anything aside from being the soldier I had always been. In particular, I did not expect to fall in love again. And, I never imagined after everything you had to observe of me and my previous relationships, that you would even…”

“Want to give us a try?” she asked.

“Exactly.”

She took a deep breath, “Well, I admit that it wasn’t easy. I did alright, at first. Then… when I started feeling all of this for you… I don’t know. I got…” She groaned. “I got jealous.”

“Jealous?”

“Of Katrina, as much as I hate to admit it. And of Betsy.”

He took a deep breath. “I understand where your fear comes from. But… it has no basis. I promise you that. You are an amazing woman, Abigail Mills. You are in a class all on your own.”

She smiled.

“I’m sorry you ever felt jealousy. And I’m sorry if I ever made you feel as though you had to…”

“You didn’t. I did it to myself. I just…” she shook her head, “I just always want to stand out to you.”

“You stand out, always. From the day we met.” He took her hand in both of his, “Of my heart, you will always be the queen.”

She smiled. “Thanks, Crane.”

“You are most welcome.”

She stared into his eyes and something came to mind that only ever became a possibility because of him. “Remember the night after we helped Ray with Lily?”

“Of course,” he replied.

“Do you remember what we talked about?”

He nodded.

She took his hand and rubbed it. “This… probably isn’t right, for me to say it anyway, but… I want to marry you.”

He stared at her, surprised. “Are you certain?”

She nodded. “I don’t want to wait until our time as Witnesses is over to have you for the rest of my life. We might not get that. So many times, we’ve both almost died or not come back from some place worse than death. I don’t want to wait for the next crisis to push together. In this… calm during the storm, the rest of my life starts now. With you.”

He smiled, feeling a tear almost escape. He took a deep breath and exhaled. “Then permit me to do this proper?”

She smiled and nodded.

“Though… I have no ring.”

“I don’t need one.”

Ichabod smiled, took a knee, and took her hand in his.

Abbie knew this was coming, she didn’t know why she was about to cry anyway.

“I love you, Grace Abigail Mills, with all my heart. Would you do me the honor of spending the rest of my life with you by becoming your husband?”

“Absolutely,” Abbie said, immediately. “Ichabod Crane.”

He stood up and kissed her with all the passion he had and she returned it. They broke the kiss and held each other for a while.

“So, question,” Abbie asked.

“Yes?” Ichabod asked.

“Just ‘Crane.’ Or… ‘Mills-Crane.’”

“I’ll leave that entirely up to you.”

“We can decide later.”

“I love you, Leftenant.”

She smiled. “I love you, too, Crane.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thank you, Sleepyheads, for accompanying me on this journey. This is the first story in my "Fated Ones" series. The next story will be titled "Sleepy Hollow – Nevermore". The story should be out within the next few days. We’ll see.
> 
> For news of what I’m up to, check my twitter, RavenTW2; my Facebook page, T2 Angel: Host of Dreams; my YouTube, TW2Vlog; you can also email me at skywaywatchertw @ outlook (dot) com; check out my other fan fic work (where Nevermore is also posted) T2 Angel; or simply PM me here.
> 
> I also have written a book! "Tatsu Angelo: Ronin Days" available now on Amazon! The link should be on my profile!
> 
> Thank you for the love and support throughout this story! Kudos and comments are great! Good-bye for now and I’ll see you all… NEXT TIME when RavenT2 presents "Sleepy Hollow – Nevermore"! See you later and take care, Sleepyheads.


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